Wesley Corpus

Come then, ye sinners, to your Lord, To happiness in Christ restor'd,58 His proffer'd benefits embrace, The plenitude of gospel-grace. A pardon written with his blood, The favour and the peace of God, The seeing eye, the feeling sense, The mystic joy59 of penitence; Page 46 60"Speak" changed to "tell" in HSP (1749). The godly grief, the pleasing smart, The meltings of a broken heart, The tears that speak60 your sins forgiv'n, The sighs that waft your soul to heav'n. The guiltless shame, the sweet distress, Th' unutterable tenderness, The genuine meek humility, The wonder, why such love to me! Th' o'erwhelming pow'r of saving grace, The sight that veils the seraph's face, The speechless awe that dares not move, And all the silent heaven of love! Page 47 61This hymn included later in HSP (1749), 1:58-59. Manuscript precursors of the hymn appear in MS Shent, 129a-129b; and MS Thirty, 6-7. 62"Longing" changed to "willing" in HSP (1749). 63"I faint" changed to "and faint" in HSP (1749). Hymn XIX. Desiring to Love.61 O love divine, how sweet thou art! When shall I find my longing62 heart All taken up by thee? I thirst, I faint,63 and die, to prove The greatness of redeeming love, The love of Christ to me. () Stronger his love, than death or hell; Its riches are unsearchable: The first-born sons of light Desire in vain its depth to see; They cannot reach the mystery, The length, and breadth, and height. Page 48 God only knows the love of God. O that it now were shed abroad In this poor stony heart! For love I sigh, for love I pine: This only portion, Lord, be mine, Be mine this better part! O that I could for ever sit, With Mary, at the Master's feet! Be this my happy choice! My only care, delight, and bliss, My joy, my heav'n on earth be this, To hear the Bridegroom's voice. O that with humbled Peter I Could weep, believe, and thrice reply, My faithfulness to prove! Thou know'st, for all to thee is known, Thou know'st, O Lord, and thou alone, Thou know'st, that thee I love. Page 49 64"On" changed to "in" in HSP (1749). 65"Thine" changed to "thy" in HSP (1749). 66"Thine" changed to "thy" in HSP (1749).