Wesley Corpus

Thou, O Lord of the hosts of heaven and earth, didst yield thy cheeks to be smitten, thy back to be scourged, and thy hands and feet to be nailed to an accursed tree. Thus didst thou, our great Master, renounce thyself; and can we think much of renouncing our vile selves? My Lord and my God, let me not presume to be above my Master | Let it be the one desire of my heart, to be as my Master; to do, not my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. O thou whose whole life did cry aloud, “Father, not mine, but thy will be done,” give me grace to walk after thy pattern; to tread in thy steps. Give me grace to “take up my cross daily,” to inure myself to bear hardship. Let me exercise myself unto godliness betimes, before the rains descend and the floods beat upon me. Let me now practise what is not pleasing to flesh and blood, what is not agreeable to my senses, appetites, and passions, that I may not here after renounce thee, for fear of suffering for thee, but may stand firm in the “day of my visitation.” O thou who didst not please thyself, although for thy “pleasure all things are and were created,” let some portion of thy Spirit descend on me, that I may “deny myself and follow thee.” Strengthen my soul, that I may be temperate in all things; that I may never use any of thy creatures but in order to some end thou commandest me to pursue, and in that measure and manner which most conduces to it. Let me never gratify any desire which has not thee for its ulti mate object. Let me ever abstain from all pleasures which do not prepare me for taking pleasure in thee; as knowing that all such war against the soul, and tend to alienate it from thee. O save me from ever indulging either “the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life.” Set a watch, O Lord, over my senses and appetites, my passions and understanding, that I may resolutely deny them every gratification which has no tendency to thy glory.