Wesley Corpus

Righteous, O Lord, thy judgments are! Ordain'd by thy decree In sorrow to conceive and bear, I bow my soul to thee: Daughter of Eve, thy voice I hear Appointing my distress, And prostrate in the dust revere Thy awful righteousness. The misery of my fall I feel, And patiently sustain: But save me from th' extreamest ill, The more than mortal pain: The utmost penalty decreed, The utmost wrath forbear, And spare me, O thou woman's seed, Thou Son of Mary, spare. If once to swell the virgin's womb, Great God, thou didst not scorn, But man thyself for me become Of thy own creature born; 10A manuscript precursor of this hymn appears in MS Richmond, 91-93. Page 45 Partaker of our flesh and blood, Our sorrows still partake, And screen me from the curse of God For thy own nature's sake. O Son of man, assuage my woes, My rising fears controul, And sanctify the mother's throes, And save the mother's soul: Thy blessed, sanctifying will I know concerning me, By faith assur'd I ne'er shall feel That endless misery. My Saviour from the wrath to come, From present evil save, And farther mitigate my doom, Nor let me see the grave: Still hold my soul in life, I pray, A dying worm reprieve, And let me all my lengthen'd day Unto thy glory live. Now, Lord, I have to thee made known My troubled soul's request, And sink in calm dependence down Within thy arms to rest: Secure in danger's blackest hour Thy faithfulness to prove, Protected by almighty power, And everlasting love. Save, Jesus, save! My hour is near Of sorrow and distress, And lo, I faint, opprest with fear Of my own helplesness: 11A manuscript precursor of this hymn appears in MS Richmond, 93-95. Page 46 My littleness of faith I feel, And sink o'rewhelm'd again, Awed by the salutary ill, The pain-preventing pain. But ah, thou know'st an heavier care Hath all my soul o'respread, And pain and death are light to bear Compar'd with what I dread: My life I freely would resign, And lay this moment down, Rather than see a child of mine Eternally undone.