Wesley Corpus

Send forth the Spirit of thy Son, Which turns the leopard to a lamb, So shall I put his bowels on, Who hellish hate by love o'ercame, Who made his murtherers his care, And sav'd them thro' his dying prayer. "Bless them that curse you." Matt. v. 44. The causeless curse is lost on me: But shall I bless my foes in vain? I bless them authoris'd by thee! The utmost good ordain'd for man Be to my persecutors given: I wish them all the joys of heaven! "Pray for them which despitefully use you." Matt. v. 44. My mortal foe, whom for thy sake, Saviour, for thine alone, I love, Humbled into thy favour take, Prepare him for his place above, Call him with me thy throne to share, And join us in thy praises there. "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven." Matt. v. 45. How may we resemble God, His genuine children prove? Jesus, thou the way hast shew'd In universal love: Page 139 Let thy love implanted be, Pure, impartial, unconfin'd; Then mankind in us shall see The Father of mankind. "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil, and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matt. v. 45. Evil, or good, thou lov'st us all, And dost to all thy blessings give: Thy sun doth rise, thy rain doth fall, On those who will not more receive, Who might be water'd by thy grace, (Incessant showers of love divine) And see that Sun of righteousness, And bright from him forever shine. "Be ye perfect." (Ye shall be perfect, Gr.) Matt. v. 48. Wouldst thou require what cannot be? The thing impossible to me Is possible with God: I trust thy truth to make me just, Th' omnipotence of love I trust, The virtue of thy blood. Perfection is my calling's prize, To which on duty's scale I rise; And when my toils are past, And when I have the battle won, Thou in thy precious self alone Shalt give the prize at last.2 "Be ye perfect." (Ye shall be perfect, Gr.) Matt. v. 48.