Wesley Corpus

Page 68 With violent faith and patience To seize the kingdom given, The purchas'd rest In Jesu's breast, The inheritance of heaven.23 "Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone." Hosea iv. 17. My heart doth oft to idols cleave, (With shame, O God, I own) Yet do not thou the sinner leave, Yet let me not alone: Rather thy froward child reprove, 'Till with my sins I part, Withdraw from earthly things my love, And give thee all my heart. "I will go, and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face." Hosea v. 15. Retir'd into his secret place My absent Saviour I bemoan; Forc'd by my sin, thou hid'st thy face: My sin the mournful cause I own:24 From saints if thou withdraw thy light, Their faith to try, their grace t' improve,25 Yet sin alone brought back my night, And robb'd me of thy pard'ning love. "In their affliction they will seek me early." Hosea v. 15. The promise of my chastning God I humbled in the dust receive, Respire beneath my sinful load, In hope thou wilt again forgive, Return my evil to remove, My sole desire to satisfy, And let me taste once more thy love, Once more behold thy face, and die. 23MS Spencer reads "The promised land of heaven." 24John Wesley drew a pointing finger (7) in the margin opposite lines 3-4. 25John Wesley underlined "if thou withdraw" in line 5 and all but "to try" of line 6 in his personal copy, drawing an exclamation point in the margin and commenting "Never."