Wesley Corpus

Lord, I the welcome word receive, Thee on the mount adore, For thy dear sake content to live Some painful moments more: I live in holy grief and joy, On Pisgah's top I stand, And life's important point employ, To view the promis'd land. O what hath Jesus bought for me! Before my ravish'd eyes Rivers of life divine I see, And trees of paradise: They flourish in perpetual bloom, Fruit every month they give; And to the healing leaves who come, Eternally shall live. I see a world of spirits bright, Who reap the pleasures there; They all are rob'd in purest white, And conquering palms they bear: Adorn'd by their Redeemer's grace They close pursue the Lamb, And every shining front displays Th' unutterable name. They drink the deifying stream, They pluck th' ambrosial fruit, And each records the praise of him Who tun'd his golden lute: Page 6 At once they strike th' harmonious wire, And hymn the great Three-One: He hears; he smiles: and all the quire Fall down before his throne. O what an heaven of heavens is this, This swoon of silent love! How poor the world's sublimest bliss Compar'd with joys above! With joys above may I be blest, And earthly bliss I scorn; Or sing triumphantly distrest Till I to God return. O what are all my sufferings here, If, Lord, thou count me meet With that inraptur'd host t' appear, And worship at thy feet! Give joy or grief, give ease or pain, Take life or friends away, I come, to find them all again In that eternal day. Hymn IV. For a Backslider (Mr. J. H.) Near Death.5 Bowels of compassion, sound In answer to our cry, Let thy balmy grace abound, Before our brother die! Bleeding Lamb, thy blood impart To sign a burthen'd soul's release; Whisper love into his heart, And bid him die in peace. 5This hymn is for John Hutchinson, the son of John and Sally Hutchinson, leading Methodists in Leeds. Wesley was close to the Hutchinsons and took special concern for the younger John's spiritual struggles in the early 1750s. He was deeply shaken by Hutchinson's death in July 1754 (see next hymn). Page 7