Wesley Corpus

Tongue cannot explain That love of God-man, Which the angels desire to look into in vain. 29Manuscript precursors of this hymn appear in MS Cheshunt, 142-44; MS Clarke, 161-62, 165; and MS Shent, 183b-184a. Page 227 It dazzles our eyes: Thought cannot arise, To find out a cause why the infinite dies. Or if pity inclin'd Him to die for mankind, The ground of his pity what seraph can find? He came from above, Our curse to remove; He hath lov'd, he hath lov'd us, because he would love. Love mov'd him to die, And on this we rely: He hath lov'd, he hath lov'd us, we cannot tell why! But this we can tell, He hath lov'd us so well, As to lay down his life to redeem us from hell. He hath ransom'd our race; O how shall we praise, Or worthily sing thy unspeakable grace? Nothing else will we know In our journey below, But singing thy grace, to thy paradise go. Nay, and when we remove To the mansions above, Our heaven shall still be to sing of thy love. Thrice happy employ! We there shall enjoy A fulness of pleasure that never can cloy. The heavenly quire With us shall aspire, And gladly our loving Redeemer admire. 30John Wesley marked stanzas 7-8 for deletion in his personal copy of the 2nd edn. (1755). Page 228 Thy wonders of grace The angels shall praise, Yet ever come short in their loftiest lays. We all shall commend The love of our friend, Forever beginning what never shall end. When time is no more, We still shall adore That ocean of love without bottom, or shore. For this do we wait; Come, Lord, and translate Our souls to their perfectly glorious estate. O hasten the day! He will not delay, But quickly return, and conduct us away. Ere31 long we shall fly To the regions on high, For Israel's strength cannot vary, or lie. He soon shall appear, He more than draws near; Our Jesus is come, and ETERNITY'S here! Hymns for Believers. Hymn XXIII. We wrestle not with flesh and blood, Whoe'er to Jesu's sway submit, Nature's desires all are subdued, And trodden down beneath our feet. 31Ori., "E'er"; but clearly used in sense of "before." Page 229