Wesley Corpus

Human tears may freely flow Authoris'd by tears divine, 'Till thine awful will we know, Comprehend thy whole design: Jesus wept! And so may we: Jesus suffering all thy will, Felt the soft infirmity; Feels his creature's sorrow still. Father of our patient Lord, Strengthen us with him to grieve, Prostrate to receive thy word, All thy counsel to receive: Tho' we would the cup decline, Govern'd by thy will alone Ours we struggle to resign: Thine, and only thine be done. Life and death are in thine hand: In thine hand our child we see Waiting thy benign command, Less belov'd by us than thee: Need we then his life request? Jesus understands our fears, Reads a mother's panting breast, Knows the meaning of her tears. Jesus blends them with his own, Mindful of his suffering days: Father, hear thy pleading Son, Son of man for us he prays: Page 78 What for us he asks, bestow: Ours he makes his own request: Send us life or death; we know, Life, or death from thee is best. Thanksgiving for His Recovery. Glory to our God most high With joyful hearts we give, Call'd like Abraham from the sky Our Isaac to receive! Him as from the dead restor'd Thankful we again embrace, Taste the goodness of our Lord, And sing the donor's praise. How shall we the gift improve A little longer lent? Father, to receive thy love We now our hearts present; Humbly on thy mercy cast, Farther mercy we implore, Pay thee back thy favours past By still accepting more. Jesus (for whose only sake Thou hast restor'd our child) Thy most precious gift we take, And own thee reconcil'd; Wait thy peace and power to feel, Peace unspeakable, unknown, Power to do thy perfect will, And serve our God alone. We, if so thy will require, Our sacrifice repeat, Nature's every fond desire To thy decree submit; Page 79 Back to thee thine own we give, Leave him in thy sovereign hand, Let him in thy presence live, Or die at thy command. Only while we offer up Our dearest blessings here, Bless us with our heavenly hope The constant Comforter, While our faith by works we prove, While the furnace we abide, Speak us perfected in love, For ever justified. Another Thanksgiving for His Recovery.