Wesley Corpus

Nothing else but love I know, Worldly joys and sorrows end, Man20 may rage, my feeble foe, Thou, O Jesus, art my friend: 18Charles Wesley dropped the word "all" in All in All (1761) to correct the metre of the poem. 19This is a very free paraphrase of 762 (Wolfgang Christoph Dessler, "Wie Wohl ist mir.") in Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, ed. Das Gesang-Buch der Gemeine in Herrn-Huth (Halle: Wäysenhaus, 1737), 688-89. It was clearly done by Charles, as evidenced by its presence in MS Cheshunt, 196-98; MS Clarke, 197-98; and MS Shent, 175a-175b. 20Charles Wesley changed "Man" to "Men" in All in All (1761), but let "Man" stand two lines later. Page 274 Man may smile; I trust in thee: Thou art all in all to me. Thou my faithful friend21 and true Reachest out thy gracious hand: What can men or devils do While by faith in thee I stand? Stand immoveably secure, Love hath made my footsteps sure. Satan stirs a tempest up, Calm I wait till all is past; See the anchor of my hope On the Rock of Ages cast! Never can that anchor fail, Entred now within the veil. Shouldst thou o'er the desart lead, Will me farther griefs to know, After thee with steady tread Leaning on thy love I'd go, Drink the fountain from above, Eat the manna of thy love. O how wonderful thy ways! All in love begin and end: Whom thy mercy means to raise First thy justice bids descend, Sink into themselves, and rise Glorious all above the skies. 21Ori., "freind"; corrected in the errata. Page 275 There I shall my lot receive, Soon as from the flesh I fly, Happy in thy love I live, Happier in thy love I die; Lo! the prospect opens fair! I shall soon be harbour'd there. Light of life, to thee I haste, Glad to quit this dark abode, On thy truth and mercy cast, Longing to be lost in God, Ready at thy call to say, Lo! I come, I come away! Ministerial spirits come, Spread your golden wings for me, Waft me to my heavenly home, Land me in eternity, Bear me to my glorious rest, Take me to my Saviour's breast. Part II.22