Whate’er the hypocrites pretend

Verse 1
Whate’er the hypocrites pretend,
Whate’er the self-deceivers boast,
God never can on man depend,
Or disappoint his people’s trust,
His word to all the seed is sure,
And shall from age to age endure.

Verse 2
His promise stands I will forgive,
And those who in his truth confide,
Their pardon seal’d thro’ faith receive,
They all are freely justified,
While God attests their sins forgiven,
Himself the earnest of their heaven.

Verse 3
He saith, Ye shall be perfect here!
And should ten thousand souls presume
T’ usurp the sinless character,
Before the perfect gift is come,
Yet on thy faithful mercies cast,
We shall obtain the prize at last.

Verse 4
Whoe’er thro’ ignorance, or pride,
Are found false-witnesses for God,
Thou hast on earth a spotless bride;
And trusting thine all-cleansing blood,
We too thine utmost truth shall prove,
Compleat in holiness and love.

Hymnal/Album: Originally titled “Let God be true, but every man a liar.”—[Rom.] iii. 4. Introduced in Charles Wesley, Short Hymns on Select Passages of the Holy Scriptures, Vol. 2 (Bristol: Farley, 1762). Published in The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley, Collected and Arranged by G. Osborn, Vol. 13 (London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1872), page 5.
Publishing: Public Domain