Wesley Corpus

Be it a vale of tears Where'er I live below, Throughout my evil days, or years, Still let mine eyes o'erflow. But e'er I end my race, Bid me thy mercy prove, And let my latest breath be praise, My latest passion love. Hymns for One Fallen from Grace. Hymn XI.72 Why (in the dust I ask) O why, Good God, hast thou my soul forsook? Abandon'd me in sin to die, Blotted my name out of thy book, Cast out my unavailing prayer, And left me in the fowler's snare? 71John Wesley crossed out this stanza in his personal copy of the 2nd edn. (1755). 72A longhand manuscript precursor of this hymn appears in MS Clarke, 202-203. A shorthand version appears on page 218 of MS Clarke, as part of an account of being locked in with the prisoners at Newgate on January 14, 1743 (see shorter account in his MS Journal). It appears that this is the time and setting in which Wesley composed the hymn. Page 116 Did I not oft beseech thee, Lord, To take me from this evil day, To slay me with thy mercy's sword To sweep me far from earth away, And hide me in the quiet tomb, Where sin could never, never come! Yet O! My enemy hath found, And forc'd his slave again to yield; My spirit feels the mortal wound, And all my hopes of death are kill'd; In sad despair of rest I grieve, And still I sin, and still I live. Why did I not resign my breath, Before this last, this foul offence? Sin hath defrauded me of death, While God delay'd to snatch me hence; O God of love, the doubt explain, Why have I liv'd to sin again? In judgment dost thou here reprieve, That I may all my sin fill up? A mon'ment of thy justice live? Why am I then constrain'd to hope, Why do I still for mercy groan, And trembles still my heart of stone? O this inexplicable doubt! My prayer was heard, and yet I fell: Thy judgments are past finding out, Thy ways are all unsearchable! This only do I know, 'Tis mine To sin; to pardon sin is thine. Assist me then to come once more, And take the freely proffer'd grace, Me to thy favour, Lord, restore, Me with thine arms of love embrace,