Wesley Corpus

This through ages all along, This be still the joyous song, Wide diffus'd o'er earth abroad, Music in the ears of God. Rescued from the fowler's snare, Jesus spreads his arms for her, Jesu's arms her sacred fence: Come, ye fiends, and pluck her thence! Thence she never shall remove, Safe in his redeeming love: This the purchase of his groans! This the soul he died for once! Now the gracious Father smiles, Now the Saviour boasts his spoils; Now the Spirit grieves no more: Sing ye heav'ns, and earth adore! Hallelujah. Page 105 Romans iv. 5. "To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."26 Lord, if to me thy grace hath given, A spark of life, a taste of heaven, The gospel-pearl, the woman's seed, The bruiser of the serpent's head; Why sleeps my principle divine? Why hastens not my spark to shine? The Saviour in my heart to move And all my soul to flame with love? Buried, o'erwhelm'd, and lost in sin, And seemingly extinct within, Th' immortal seed unactive lies, The heav'nly Adam sinks and dies: Dies, and revives the dying flame. Cast down, but not destroy'd I am, 'Midst thousand lusts I still respire, And tremble, unconsum'd in fire. Suffer'd awhile to want my God, To groan beneath my nature's load, That all may own, that all may see Th' ungodly justify'd in me. 26Title changed to "Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Our Faith" in 4th edn. (1743) and 5th edn. Page 106 Acts i. 4. "Wait for the promise of the Father, which ye have heard of me."27 Saviour of men, how long shall I Forgotten at thy footstool lie! Wash'd in28 the fountain of thy blood, Yet groaning still to be renew'd; A miracle of grace and sin, Pardon'd, yet still alas unclean! Thy righteousness is counted mine: When will it in my nature shine? Darksom I still remain and void, And painfully unlike my God, Till thou diffuse a brighter ray, And turn the glimm'ring into day. Why didst thou the first gift impart, And sprinkle with thy blood my heart, But that my sprinkled heart might prove, The life and liberty of love?