Wesley Corpus

Ye who faint beneath the load Of sin, your heads lift up, See your dear, redeeming God, He comes, and bids you hope. In the midnight of your grief, Jesus doth his mourners chear, Now he brings you sure relief: Believe, and feel him here. Ye whose loins are girt stand forth! Whose lamps are burning bright, Worthy in your Saviour's worth, To walk with Christ in light: Jesus bids your hearts be clean, Bids you all his promise prove; Jesus comes to cast out sin, And perfect you in love. Happiest souls, (if such are here,) Who have attain'd the prize, Wait ye till your Lord appear, Descending from the skies: Still forget the things behind, Toward your thrones of glory press, Stop not, till above ye find The crown of righteousness. Wait we all in patient hope Till Christ the judge shall come, We shall soon be all caught up To meet the general doom; In an hour to us unknown As a thief in deepest night, Christ shall suddenly come down With all his saints in light. Page 133 Happy he, whom Christ shall find, Watching to see him come, Him the judge of all mankind Shall bear triumphant home: Who can answer to his word? Which of you dares meet his day! "Rise, and come to judgment!" Lord We20 rise, and come away! Another A Midnight Hymn.21 Oft have we pass'd the guilty night In revellings and frantick mirth, The creature was our sole delight, Our happiness the things of earth; But O! Suffice the season past, We chuse the better part at last. We will not close our wakeful eyes, We will not let our eyelids sleep, But humbly lift them to the skies, And all a solemn vigil keep: So many nights22 on sin bestow'd, Can we not watch one hour23 for God? We can, dear Jesu,24 for thy sake, Devote our every hour to thee, Speak but the word, our souls shall wake And sing with chearful melody, Thy praise shall our glad tongues employ, And every heart shall dance for joy.