Wesley Corpus

Page 228 "Millions of souls the Lord of all pass'd by, "Who died for all, for them refus'd to die; "To us, and none but us he had respect, "He died for the whole world of us elect.") These wretched men of sin with grief he view'd, He lov'd these strangers to his Saviour's blood, A restless, carnal, bold, licentious crowd, Bitter, implacable, perverse, and proud, Stubborn, stiff-neck'd, impatient of restraint, A tribe of priests unholy and unsent, Whose lives their arrogant conceit disprove; Vain sinful boasters of electing love; To evil sold they will believe a lie, And advocates for sin they live, and die. Yet these, even these his pity knew to bear, With all their long impertinence of prayer, Their factious party-zeal, their teaching pride, Their fierce contempt of all mankind beside; His love the mantle o're their folly spread, His candid love a just exception made, O'rejoy'd to see a few of heart sincere As burning, and as shining lights appear, To find a Whitefield and an Harris here! True piety impartial to commend, He dar'd to call a Calvinist his friend; His love indifferent did to all abound, He bow'd to Jesu's name wherever found: Some good he found in all, but griev'd to see The world combine, the brethren disagree: