Wesley Corpus

Tell us, "I am the first and last, Who liv'd and died for all am I! And lo! My bitter death is past, And lo! I live no more to die. "I have the keys of death and hell." Amen! Thy record we receive, And wait, 'till thou our spirits seal, And all in all for ever live. Hymn LXII.86 Lord of the harvest hear Thy needy servants cry; Answer our faith's effectual prayer, And all our wants supply. On thee we humbly wait, Our wants are in thy view, The harvest, truly, Lord, is great, The labourers are few. Convert, and send87 forth more Into thy church abroad, And let them speak thy word of power, As workers with their God. Give the pure gospel-word, The word of general grace, Thee let them preach, the common Lord, Saviour of human race. 86First appeared in HSP (1742), 282-83. 87Ori., "sent"; a misprint. Corrected to the HSP (1742) reading in All in All (1765). Page 63 O let them spread thy name, Their mission fully prove, Thine universal grace proclaim Thine all-redeeming love. On all mankind, forgiven, Empower them still to call, And tell each creature under heaven, That thou hast died for all. Hymn LXIII.88 Jesu, thy wand'ring sheep behold! See, Lord, with yearning bowels see Poor souls, that cannot find the fold, 'Till sought, and gather'd in by thee. Lost are they now, and scatter'd wide, In pain, and weariness, and want, With no kind shepherd near to guide The sick, and spiritless, and faint. Thou, only thou, the kind and good, And sheep-redeeming shepherd art, Collect thy flock, and give them food, And pastors after thine own heart. Give the pure word of general grace, And great shall be the preachers' crowd, Preachers, who all the sinful race Point to the all-atoning blood. Open their mouth, and utterance give, Give them a trumpet-voice to call A world, who all may turn and live Thro' faith in him, that died for all. In every messenger reveal The grace they preach divinely free, 88First appeared in HSP (1742), 283-84; stanzas 1-8. Page 64 That each may by thy Spirit tell "He died for all, who died for me." A double portion from above Of that all-quick'ning Spirit impart, Shed forth thine universal love In every faithful pastor's heart.