Wesley Corpus

The golden rule she still pursu'd, And did to others, as she would Others should do to her: Justice compos'd her upright soul, Justice did all her thoughts controul, And form'd her character. Her morals, O thou bleeding Lamb,41 Forth from that open fountain came, That wounded side of thine; Thy love of equity she caught, Thy Spirit in her spirit wrought The righteousness divine. 40"Run" changed to "run'd" in 1769 edn. 41Cf. Young, Night Thoughts, Fourth night, line 781. Page 52 Thenceforth an Israelite indeed, By child-like innocency led, And ignorant of art, See her integrity approv'd, To God and man: the truth she lov'd, And spoke it from her heart. To falshood an eternal foe, The fair pretence, the specious shew, The gross and colour'd lie; Darkness she never put for light, Evil for good, or wrong for right, Or fraud for piety. Thro' all her words the soul within, The honest, artless soul was seen, Ingenuous, pure, and free: Candour and love were sweetly join'd With easy nobleness of mind, And true simplicity. Inspir'd with godliness sincere, She had her conversation here; No guile in her was found: Chearful and open as the light, She dwelt in her own people's sight, And gladden'd all around. Hymn XXXII. On the Death of Mrs. Mary Naylor, March 21, 1757. Part III. Mercy that heaven-descending guest, Resided in her gentle breast, And full possession kept; While listening to the orphan's moan, And echoing back the widow's groan, She wept with them that wept. Page 53 Affliction, poverty, disease, Drew out her soul in soft distress The wretched to relieve: In all the works of love employ'd, Her sympathizing soul enjoy'd The blessedness to give. Her Saviour in his members seen, A stranger she receiv'd him in, An hungry Jesus fed, Tended her sick imprison'd Lord, And flew in all his wants t' afford Her ministerial aid. A nursing-mother to the poor, For them she husbanded her store, Her life, her all bestow'd: For them she labour'd day and night, In doing good her whole delight, In copying after God. But did she then herself conceal From her own flesh? Or kindly feel Their every want and woe? "'Tis Corban this" she never said, But dealt alike her sacred bread To feed both friend and foe.