Wesley Corpus

Gentle Jesu, lovely Lamb, Thine, and only thine I am; Take my body, spirit, soul, Only thou possess the whole. 16Ori., "CXXVI". All poem numbers from here forward have been corrected as well. Corrected numbering appears in 2nd edn. (1755). 17Manuscript precursors of this hymn appear in MS Shent, 46a; and MS Thirty, 2-3. Page 217 Thou my one thing needful be, Let me ever cleave to thee: Let me chuse the better part, Let me give thee all my heart. Fairer than the sons of men, Do not let me turn again, Leave the fountain-head of bliss, Stoop to creature-happiness. Whom have I on earth below? Thee, and only thee I know: Whom have I in heaven but thee? Thou art all in all to me. All my treasure is above, All my riches is thy love: Who the worth of love can tell, Infinite, unsearchable! Thou, O love, my portion art, Lord, thou knowst my simple heart: Other comforts I despise, Love be all my paradise. Nothing else can I require, Love fills up my whole desire: All thy other gifts remove; Still thou giv'st me all in love. Hymns for Believers. Hymn XV.19 Jesu, my truth, my way, My sure, unerring light, On thee my feeble soul I stay, Which thou wilt lead aright; 18John Wesley crossed out this stanza in his personal copy of the 2nd edn. (1755). 19Manuscript precursors of this hymn appear in MS Shent, 83a-83b; and MS Thirty, 173-75. Page 218 My wisdom, and my guide, My Counsellor thou art; O never let me leave thy side, Or from thy paths depart. I lift mine eye to thee, My lovely, bleeding Lamb, That I may still inlighten'd be, And never put to shame: I never will remove Out of thy hands my cause, But rest in thy redeeming love, And hang upon thy cross. To thee, when sin draws nigh, O let me still confess (While trembling to thy wounds I fly) My utter helplessness: Save, Lord! I cannot bear This sore temptation's storm; Save, or I perish in despair, O save a dying worm. Still let thy Spirit, Lord, Soon as the foe comes in, His instantaneous help afford, And stem the tide of sin: Lift up the standard-tree 'Gainst my o'erpowering foe, And shew me, thou hast died for me, And all my sins o'erthrow.