Wesley Corpus

Hymn V Source: Hymns on God's Everlasting Love (1742) Author: Charles Wesley --- O my offended God, If now at last I see That I have trampled on thy blood, And done despight to thee, If I begin to wake Out of my deadly sleep, Into thy arms of mercy take, And there for ever keep. I can no more rely On gifts and graces past, Lost, and undone, and damn'd am I, I give up all at last: With guilty shame I drop My bold presumptuous plea, Mercy itself may give me up, The vile apostate me. I can no longer trust In my abuse of grace, I own thee merciful and just, If banish'd from thy face: Tho' once I surely knew, And felt my sins forgiven, Faithful I own thee, Lord, and true, If now shut out from heaven. Thro' faith in Jesu's name I once was justify'd, Yet hence no benefit I claim, I lost it all by pride, More desp'rate is my state, Farther I am from God Than any hopeless reprobate, Who never felt thy blood. Nothing have I to plead, Lord, at thy feet I fall, Pour all thy judgments on my head, I have deserv'd them all: Justice my life demands; Thou art unchangeable, Thy covenant unshaken stands, Tho' I am doom'd to hell. Nothing for me remains But horror and despair, A fearful looking for of pains Too exquisite to bear, Judgment, and fiery wrath; For I have wilfully (Since I receiv'd thy saving faith) Apostatiz'd from thee. Enlighten'd once I was, And saw my sins forgiv'n, And tasted of thy pard'ning grace, The happiness of heav'n: I tasted the good word, And, sanctify'd in part, Receiv'd the promise of my Lord, The Sp'rit into my heart. Now I am fall'n away: And thou may'st let me fall, Till ended is my gracious day, And I am stript of all; Till I am void of God, Till all the strife is o'er, And I can never be renew'd, Can never see thee more. But O forbid it, Lord, Nor drive me from thy face, While self-condemn'd, and self-abhorr'd, I humbly sue for grace: For thy own mercy's sake My guilty soul release, And now my pardon give me back, And give me back my peace. No other right have I Than what the world may claim, All, all may to their God draw nigh, Thro' faith in Jesu's name: Thou all the debt hast paid, This is my only plea, The cov'nant God in thee hath made With all mankind, and me. Thou hast obtain'd the grace That all may turn and live, And lo! Thy offer I embrace, Thy mercy I receive. Whene'er the wicked man Turns from his sin to thee, His late repentance is not vain, He shall accepted be. Thy death hath bought the power For every sinful soul, That all might know their gracious hour, And be by faith made whole, Thou hast for sinners died, That all might come to God, The cov'nant thou hast ratify'd, And seal'd it with thy blood. He that believes in thee, And doth to death endure, He shall be sav'd eternally, The covenant is sure; The mountains shall give place, Thy cov'nant cannot move, The cov'nant of thy gen'ral grace, Thy all-redeeming love. He that in thee believes, And to the end remains, He everlasting life receives, For so thy will ordains; This is the firm decree, The word of thy command, Fast as the sun and moon with thee It doth for ever stand. God of all-pard'ning grace, The cov'nant now I plead, The cov'nant made with all our race In Jesus Christ our head: Canst thou the grace deny, The pardon which I claim? O why did the Redeemer die? I ask in Jesu's name. Hast thou not sent us forth His pris'ners from the pit? And do I not to Jesu's worth And righteousness submit? Father behold thy Son, As in my place he stood, And hear his dying word, "'Tis done," And hear his speaking blood. It speaks me justify'd, My Father must forgive: He doth; I feel it now apply'd, My pardon I receive; My peace he gives me back, My antepast of heav'n, And God again for Jesu's sake Hath me, ev'n me forgiven.