Wesley Corpus

I'll weary thee with my complaint; Here at thy feet for ever lie, With longing sick, with groaning faint: O give me love, or else I die! Without this best, divinest grace 'Tis death, 'tis worse than death to live; 'Tis hell to want thy blissful face, And saints in thee their heav'n receive. Come then, my hope, my life, my Lord, And fix in me thy lasting home! Be mindful of thy gracious word, Thou with thy promis'd Father, come! Prepare, and then possess my heart, O take me, seize me from above: Thee do I love, for God thou art; Thee do I feel, for God is love! Page 85 A Prayer Under Convictions. Father of light,11 from whom proceeds Whate'er thy ev'ry creature needs, Whose goodness providently nigh Feeds the young ravens when they cry; To thee I look; my heart prepare, Suggest, and hearken to my pray'r. Since by thy light myself I see Naked, and poor, and void of thee, Thine eyes must all my thoughts survey, Preventing what my lips would say: Thou seest my wants; for help they call, And ere I speak, thou know'st them all. Thou know'st the baseness of my mind Wayward, and impotent and blind, Thou know'st how unsubdu'd my will, Averse to good, and prone to ill: Thou know'st how wide my passions rove, Nor check'd by fear, nor charm'd by love. Fain would I know, as known by thee, And feel the indigence I see; Fain would I all my vileness own, And deep beneath the burden groan: Abhor the pride that lurks within, Detest and loath myself and sin. 11Only the 2nd edn. (1739) uses "Father of lights," as in James 1:17. Page 86 Ah give me, Lord, myself to feel, My total misery reveal: Ah give me, Lord, (I still would say) A heart to mourn, a heart to pray; My business this, my only care, My life, my ev'ry breath be pray'r. Scarce I begin my sad complaint, When all my warmest wishes faint; Hardly I lift my weeping eye, When all my kindling ardors die; Nor hopes nor fears my bosom move, For still I cannot, cannot love.