Wesley Corpus

Whate'er in me obstructs the way, Art thou not ready to remove? My lusts and appetites to slay, And crucify my creature-love, The sacred willingness t' infuse, The power eternal life to chuse? Why am I then, ah! Shew me why This weak, intangled, wretched thing? Afraid to live, afraid to die? Nor death nor life have lost their sting; A living death, alas! I bear, Cut off from hope, and from despair. A mystery of grief, and sin, Out of the deep I cry to thee, End, Jesus, end this war within, Set my sad soul at liberty; My groaning soul on thee I cast, Redeem, and let me groan my last. Hymns for One Fallen from Grace. Hymn XXXII. O that I could revere My much-offended God! O that I could but stand in fear Of thy afflicting rod! Page 148 The rod I long have borne, O may I dread the pain, And never more to folly turn, And never sin again! Remembring84 my distress, The wormwood and the gall, For help against my wickedness On thee I humbly call: Whom mercy cannot draw Thou by thy threatnings move, And keep an abject soul in awe, That will not yield to love. Shew me the naked sword Impendent o'er my head, And let me tremble at thy word, And to my ways take heed, With sacred horror fly From every sinful snare, Nor ever in my judge's eye My judge's anger dare. Thou great, tremendous God, The conscious awe impart, The grace be now on me bestow'd, The tender fleshly heart: For Jesu's sake alone The stony heart remove, And melt at last, O melt me down Into the mould of love. 84Ori., "Remember"; corrected in errata and 2nd edn. (1755). Page 149 Hymns for One Fallen from Grace. Hymn XXXIII. All-good, Almighty God, How can thy creature be So long opprest beneath his load Who groans for help to thee? My soul how canst thou leave To struggle with its chain, To strive against my sin, and grieve, And grieve and strive in vain? Surely the hindrance lies In me, in me alone; Thee only just, and true, and wise, And merciful I own: Why then dost thou delay The hindrance to remove, And kindly force my stubborn clay To take the stamp of love?