Wesley Corpus

As a ripe shock of corn brought home, Behold her in due season come To claim her full reward! Smiling and pleas'd in death she lies, With eagle's eyes looks thro' the skies, And sees her heavenly Lord. The sight her ravish'd spirit fires, Her panting dying breast inspires, And fills her mouth with praise; She owns the glorious earnest given; The hidden life breaks out, and heaven Resplendent25 in her face. Fill'd up with love and life divine, The house of clay, the earthly shrine, Dissolves, and sinks to dust, Without a groan the body dies; Her spirit mounts above the skies, And mingles with the just. With mixt concern her flight we view, With joy th' ascending pomp pursue, Yet for our loss distrest: Our bosom-friend from earth is flown, A mother of our Israel gone, To her eternal rest. Yet still to us she speaks tho' dead, She26 bids us in her footsteps tread, 24MARC, MA 1977/157, JW III.8 has "intervene" instead of "rise between." 25MARC, MA 1977/157, JW III.8 has "Is open" instead of "Resplendent." 26MARC, MA 1977/157, JW III.8 has "And" instead of "She." Page 28 As in her Saviour's she; And O! That we like her may27 prove Our faith unfeign'd and genuine love, And meek humility. Who live her life, her28 death shall die: Come, Lord, our hearts to certify That we the prize shall gain; Soon as we lay the body down, That we shall wear th' immortal crown, And in thy glory reign. Hymn XV. On the Death of the Rev. Mr. John Meriton,29 August 10, 1753. And hath he bow'd his head, And rendered up the ghost, So quietly escap'd, and fled To that immortal host? With them our songs we join, And solemnly proclaim The victory of love divine, The triumph of the Lamb. The Lamb of God alone Supplied his Spirit's might, Thro' which our fellow-soldier won The good tho' doubtful fight; Thro' which th' afflicted man On sovereign mercy cast, Rode out the storm of sin and pain, And landed safe at last.