Wesley Corpus

Thou God of harmony and love, Whose name transports the saints above, And lulls the ravish'd spheres, On thee in feeble strains I call, And mix my humble voice with all The heavenly choristers. 98First appeared in Redemption Hymns (1747), 31-32. 99Ori., "overmore"; a misprint. Restored to Redemption Hymns (1747) reading in All in All (1765). 100First appeared in Redemption Hymns (1747), 34-36. Page 72 If well I know the tuneful art To captivate an human heart, The glory, Lord, be thine: A servant of thy blessed will, I here devote my utmost skill To sound the praise divine. With Tubal's wretched sons no more I prostitute my sacred power To please the fiends beneath, Or modulate the wanton lay, Or smooth with musick's hand the way To everlasting death. Suffice for this the season past: I come, great God, to learn at last The lesson of thy grace: Teach me the new the gospel song, And let my hand, my heart, my tongue Move only to thy praise. Thine own musician, Lord, inspire, And let my consecrated lyre Repeat the psalmist's part; His Son and thine reveal in me, And fill with sacred melody The fibres of my heart. So shall I charm the list'ning throng, And draw the living stones along, By Jesu's tuneful name: The living stones shall dance, shall rise, And form a city in the skies, The New Jerusalem! O might I with thy saints aspire, The meanest of that dazzling choir Who chaunt thy praise above, Mix'd with the bright musician-band, May I an heavenly harper stand, And sing the song of love. Page 73 What extacy of bliss is there While all th' angelic concert share, And drink the floating joys! What more than extacy, when all Struck to the golden pavement fall At Jesu's glorious voice! Jesus! The heaven of heaven he is, The soul of harmony and bliss; And while on him we gaze, And while his glorious voice we hear, Our spirits are all eye, all ear, And silence speaks his praise. O might I die that awe to prove, That prostrate awe which dares not move Before the great Three-One, To shout by turns the bursting joy, And all eternity employ In songs around the throne. Hymn LXXII.101