Foolish world, who brand the men

Verse 1
Foolish world, who brand the men,
Men of God as tools of hell!
Tell us not they preach for gain
Who their lives for Jesus sell;
Tell us not, they preach for fame,
Sinners while to Christ they call,
Cover’d with contempt and shame,
Hated, and abhor’d of all.

Verse 2
Would the wise, malicious fiend
Weapons ’gainst himself employ,
Raise up instruments and send
His own kingdom to destroy?
Who with sin incessant fight,
Satan of his prey disseize,
God declares they must be right,
Owns the messengers for his.

Hymnal/Album: Originally titled: “‘He called them unto him, and said unto them, Can Satan cast out Satan?’—Mark 3, v. 23.” This hymn appears in the 1766 manuscript “MS Mark.” This manuscript is part of the collection of the Methodist Archive and Research Centre in The John Rylands Library, The University of Manchester (accession number MA 1977/574, Charles Wesley Notebooks Box 3). Accessed through the website of The Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition, Duke Divinity School. Published in The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley, Collected and Arranged by G. Osborn, Vol. 10 (London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1870), page 468.
Publishing: Public Domain