Wesley Corpus

Come hither, all ye slaves of sin, Ye beasts without, and fiends within, Glad tidings unto all I shew; Jesus's grace for all is free; Jesus's grace hath found out me, And now he offers it to you. Dead in the midst of life I was; Unconscious of my Eden's loss, Long did I in the graves remain, A fallen spirit, dark, and void, Unknowing, and unknown of God, I felt not, for I hugg'd, my chain. He call'd: I answer'd to his call, Confess'd my state, and mourn'd my fall, And strove, and groan'd to be renew'd: With gradual horror then I saw The nature of the fiery law, But knew not then a Saviour's blood. Page 162 For ten long, legal years I lay An helpless, tho' reluctant prey To pride, and lust, and earth, and hell: Oft to repentance vain renew'd, Self-confident for hours I stood, And fell, and griev'd, and rose, and fell. I fasted, read, and work'd, and pray'd, Call'd holy friendship to my aid, And constant to the altar drew; 'Tis there, I cried, he must be found! By vows, and new engagements bound, All his commands I now shall do. Soon as the trying hour return'd, I sunk before the foes I scorn'd, My firm resolves did all expire: Why hath the law of sin prevail'd? Why have the bonds of duty fail'd? Alas, the tow hath touch'd the fire. Hardly at last I all gave o'er, I sought to free myself no more, Too weak to burst the fowler's snare; Baffled by twice ten thousand foils, I ceas'd to struggle in the toils, And yielded to a just despair. 'Twas then my soul beheld from far The glimmering of an orient star, That pierc'd and chear'd my nature's night; Sweetly it dawn'd, and promis'd day, Sorrow, and sin it chas'd away, And open'd into glorious light. Page 163 With other eyes I now could see The Father reconcil'd to me, Jesus the just had satisfied: Jesus had made my sufferings his, Jesus was now my righteousness; Jesus for me had liv'd and died. From hence the Christian race I ran, From hence the fight of faith began: O 'tis a good, but painful fight! When heaviness o'erwhelms the soul, When clouds and darkness round me roll, And hide the Saviour from my sight.