Wesley Corpus

Page 56 Hymn XXXIV. On the Death of Mrs. Mary Naylor, March 21, 1757. Part V. Free from that partial blind respect, Which marks the favourite of a sect, Implicitly resign'd; With others eyes she scorn'd to see, And stretch'd her arms of charity, Ingrasping all mankind. In love, and every grace she grew, As nearer her departure drew; The active restless soul From strength, to greater strength went on, Swifter and swifter still she run, To reach the heavenly goal. She liv'd a burning shining light, With never-fading lustre bright, With never-cooling love: Meet for the infinite reward, Expecting to receive her Lord And Bridegroom from above. He came, and warn'd her to depart, He knock'd at her attentive heart, And fitted for the sky; She open'd to her welcome guest, With eager instantaneous haste She gat her up, to die. To die, her only business then, The meed43 of all her toils to gain, Made ready long before She flies to lay her body down, And pain, and sin, and grief are gone, And suffering is no more. 43Ori., "mead"; however, Charles surely has the notion of recompense (meed) in mind, rather than that of a soothing drink (mead). Page 57 "Nothing," she cries, "can shake my peace, My body, or my soul, distress, Or tempt me once to fear; My full salvation is wrought out, I cannot mourn, I cannot doubt, For Christ and heaven is here. "Not in my helpless self I trust, But on my faithful Lord and just, In life and death depend; Secure of everlasting bliss, Into those gracious hands of his My spirit I commend." She speaks, and bows her willing head She sinks among th' immortal dead, Without a ling'ring groan; Meek, as the Lamb of God, departs, And carries up our bleeding hearts To that eternal throne. Hymn XXXV. On the Death of Mrs. Mary Naylor, March 21, 1757. Part VI. There with the virgin-choir she sits, And Jesus her appeal admits From man's unrighteous bar: He kept her faithful unto death, And with a never-fading wreath Rewards his servant there. Go, envious fiend, and force her down, Go, pluck the jewels from her crown, And lessen her reward: Pollute by thy opprobrious praise, Or tear her from that blissful place, Or part her from her Lord. Page 58