Wesley Corpus

Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God: The Lord thy God that Spirit is, Who hath on man his grace bestow'd; Whose tender mercies never cease; Page 49 But still he doth with sinners stay, Though griev'd and tempted every day. Transgressors of his righteous law By sin offend his glorious eyes: By sin we urge him to withdraw, And force his ling'ring wrath to rise, 'Till from his face he vows t' expel, And leave us to our choice in hell. Yet spare us, O thou God supreme, Before we fill our measure up, Thy true divinity blaspheme, And quench with thee our latest hope: Thy Godhead on the rebels prove, And conquer us at last by love. Thy living law of love reveal, And write it in our inward parts, Thou God of love unsearchable, Set up thy kingdom in our hearts, Thy kingdom in our hearts maintain, And we shall never sin again. "The LORD said, MY SPIRIT shall not always strive with man." Gen. vi. 3. Jehovah's Spirit of purest love Waited in Noah's days, And long the God of patience strove With that rebellious race: The same Almighty Spirit strives, And help to us imparts, Sufficient to reform our lives, And change our sinful hearts. But if, disdaining to receive, His proffer'd aid we slight, His goodness obstinately grieve, And do our God despite; Page 50 His patience will not always last To those that brave his power: And when our gracious day is past, He strives with us no more. But let us to our God return Most pitiful, most high, For mercy at his footstool mourn, For farther respite cry: Stay, thou insulted Spirit, stay, And strive again with me, Nor cast a wretched soul away That has rejected thee.