The Baptist and his heavenly Lord

Verse 1
The Baptist, and his heavenly Lord,
The chosen twelve by Jesus sent,
Dispensers of the gospel-word
Began with all mankind Repent,
Before the Lamb was crucified,
After he had for sinners died.

Verse 2
Repentance should be preach’d to all:
And who its preachers vilify,
Blind leaders of the blind miscall,
Wisdom himself they dare decry,
Jesus, and his Apostles blame,
Who preach’d repentance in his name.

Verse 3
Jesus, thy contrite Spirit shed
On every gospel-messenger,
Give them a voice to rouse the dead;
Let all the sons of thunder hear,
Let all awake to righteousness,
Repent, believe, and go in peace.

Hymnal/Album: Originally titled: “‘They went out and preached that men should repent.’—[Mark 6,] v. 12.” 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 494.
Publishing: Public Domain