1 Thessalonians 1:3: Remembering...your work of faith, and, &c

rt Tue work of faith with heaven begun,
With Christ discover'd from above,
By just degrees is carried on,
By patient hope, and labouring love,
Nor ends the moment it begins,
Nor glory in an instant wins. /

That work of faith the novice blind
Would fain, on fancy's horse, leap o'er,
A shorter way to Son find,
And fight with sin—when sin's no more;
Labour, when of the prize possess'd,
And toil, when enter'd into rest.

That patience of unwearied hope
Fond nature would escape in vain,
To full-grown grace at once spring up,
Perfection in a moment gain;
Evade the fight, yet take the spoil,
The sweets of love, without the toil.

But O Thou patient mournful Man,
Thy life our better way we see,
And labouring hard through grief and pain,
Through toils and deaths we follow Thee,
Fight on, while day by day renew'd,
And strive, resisting unto blood.

We work, till Thou pronounce, " Well done!"
The' incessant toils of love repeat,
And suffer till our final groan,
Till patience hath its work complete,
And faith its glorious end receives,
And love alone for ever lives.