Wesley Corpus

It stands securely high, Indissolubly sure, Our glorious mansion in the sky Shall evermore endure. O were we enter'd there, To perfect heaven restor'd, O were we all caught up to share The triumph of our Lord! Beneath our earthly load We labour now and groan, And hasten tow'rd that house of God, And struggle to be gone: We would not, Lord, desire An end of misery, But thee our earnest souls require, We long to die for thee. For this in faith we call, For this we weep and pray, O might the tabernacle fall, O might we 'scape away! Full of immortal hope, We urge the restless strife, And hasten to be swallow'd up Of everlasting life. Page 21 Absent, alas! From God, We in the body mourn, And pine to quit this mean abode, And languish to return: Jesus, regard our vows, And change our faith to sight, And cloath us with our nobler house Of empyrean light. O let us put on thee In perfect holiness, And rise prepar'd thy face to see, Thy bright unclouded face: Thy grace with glory crown, Who hast the earnest given, And now triumphantly come down And take our souls to heaven. Hymn XIV. Jesus, come! Our utmost Jesus, Save us from the world beneath, From a life of pain release us, From a life of daily death: Listen to the ceaseless moaning Of thy plaintive turtle-dove; Answer, Lord, thy Spirit's groaning, Take us to the17 church above. Many a soul is lodg'd before us In the garner of the grave: Jesus, come! To life restore us, Us from all our troubles save, Us in infinite compassion To our happier friends unite, Raise us to our highest station, Rank us with thy saints in light. 17"The" changed to "our" in 2nd edn. (1746) and following. Page 22 Still we bear about thy dying In our feeble bodies here, Languishing for thee, and crying Light of life in us appear, Take us to thy kind embraces, To thy heavenly banquet lead; Wipe the sorrow from our faces, Set the crown upon our head. Hymn XV. Hosannah to God In his highest abode; All heaven be join'd, To extol the Redeemer and friend of mankind! He claims all our praise, Who in infinite grace Again hath stoop'd down, And caught up a worm to inherit a crown.