Wesley Corpus

My people sav'd, my chosen seed, Throughout the land of promise spread, The world no longer shall devour; Satan, who made your souls a prey, Shall flee forever chas'd away, And sin lay waste my church no more. "The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me, that I may dwell." Isa. xlix. 20. I will with other children bless, With sudden infinite increase Thy long-lamented loss repair; Straitned for more and larger room Thy children unto thee shall come, And ask thy kind maternal care. Then shalt thou say with glad surprize, Who gave me these to bless mine eyes, The widow's mournful heart to chear? They come, begotten from above, Dear pledges of my Jesu's love, They all the sons of God appear! Page 357 I had my former children lost, A captive sad, by tempests tost, I wandred to and fro distrest; But in my desolate state I see A new succeeding progeny Who rise and call their Father blest: Where have they been in secret bred? The Lord preserv'd a faithful seed Their great preserver to proclaim, His truth and love to glorify, Apostate Israel's place supply, And spread thro' earth the Christian name. "Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders." Isa. xlix. 22. Beck'ning with mine uplifted hand, I will the heathen world command To bring thy wandring children home; The heathen world shall own my sign, And willing made by power divine To my erected standard come: Thy sons they in their arms shall bear, Thy daughters guard with tenderest care, And mounted on their shoulders shew, 'Till lodg'd within thy kind embrace Gentiles and Jews are join'd by grace, And all the God of Israel know. "Kings shall be thy nursing-fathers ..." Isa. xlix. 23. Such may our young Josiah prove, And make thy church his pious care, Cherish with wise, paternal love, And in his royal bosom bear!