John & Charles Wesley · 28 of 258

Another

Enslaved to sense, to pleasure prone, Fond of created good; Father, our helplessness we own, And trembling taste our food.

Trembling, we taste for ah! no more To Thee the creatures lead; Changed, they exert a fatal power, And poison while they feed.

Cursed for the sake of wretched man, They now engross him whole; With pleasing force on earth detain, And sensualise his soul.

Grov’ling on earth we still must lie Till Christ the curse repeal; Till Christ, descending from on high, Infected nature heal.

Come, then, our Heavenly Adam, come! Thy healing influence give; Hallow our food, reverse our doom, And bid us eat and live.

The bondage of corruption break! For this our spirits groan; Thy only will we fain would seek; O, save us from our own.

Turn the full stream of nature’s tide Let all our actions tend To Thee, their Source; Thy love the guide, Thy glory be the end.

Earth then a scale to heaven shall be, Sense shall point out the road; The creatures then shall lead to Thee, And all we taste be God!