Wesley Corpus

Not all his threaten'd woes My stubborn heart could move; His threatnings only were for those Who never knew his love: He cannot take away His covenanted grace, Tho' I rebel, and disobey, And mock him to his face. He cannot me pass by, Or utterly reject, Or judge his people, or deny To save his own elect; He swore to bring me in To heaven; 'twere perjury For God to punish me for sin, For God to pass by me. 'Twas thus my wretched heart Abus'd his patient grace, Provok'd his mercy to depart, His justice to take place: Unconscious of its state, In death my soul abode, Nor groan'd beneath its guilty weight, Nor knew its fall from God. Page 12 3Line in Hymns on God's Love (1742): "And give me back my peace." I could not be restor'd, By pard'ning grace renew'd, While trampling on his written word Self-confident I stood: He only saves the lost, Which I could never be, I never could be damn'd, but must Be sav'd by his decree. O my offended God, If now at last I see That I have trampled on thy blood, And done despite 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 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. 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 bid me die in peace.3