The men who seek their portion here

Verse 1
The men who seek their portion here,
To their own worldly interest true,
Consistent with themselves appear,
With steady aim their end pursue,
Contrivance, care, and foresight show
T’ insure the good they prize below.

Verse 2
Not half so wise the sons of light
The one thing needful to secure!
Toiling henceforth both day and night
To make our heavenly treasure sure,
O might we every means improve,
And Jesus every moment love!

Verse 3
Saviour, our want of even zeal,
Our past improvidence forgive,
That proving all thy perfect will
To Thee we may intirely live,
Accomplishing thy whole design,
Receiv’d into that house Divine.

Hymnal/Album: Originally titled: “‘The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.’—[Luke 16,] v. 8.” This hymn appears in the 1766 manuscript “MS Luke.” 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 1977/575, Charles Wesley Notebooks Box 3). Accessed through the website of The Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition, Duke Divinity School. Published in S.T. Kimbrough Jr. and Oliver A. Beckerlegge, eds., The Unpublished Poetry of Charles Wesley, vol. 2 (Nashville: Kingswood Books, 1990), page 156. Verses 1 and 2 were published in The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley, Collected and Arranged by G. Osborn, Vol. 11 (London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1871), page 240.
Publishing: Public Domain