Wesley Corpus

Thy dear preserving grace Each moment I receive, And trust to see thy face, And without sin to live: Thy tender mercies never fail, And I shall never be in hell. "He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." Matthew x. 39. Be it according to thy word! This moment let it be, O that I now, my dearest Lord, Might lose my life for thee! Now, Jesu, let thy powerful death Into my being come, Slay the old Adam with thy breath, The man of sin consume. Whate'er I have, or can, or am, I now would fain resign, And lose my nature, and my name, O God, to purchase thine. Withhold whate'er my flesh requires, Poison my pleasant food, Spoil my delights, my vain desires, My all of creature-good. Page 216 My old affections mortify, Nail to the cross my will, Daily, and hourly bid me die, Or altogether kill. Passion, and appetite destroy, Tear, tear this pride away, And all my boast, and idle joy, And all my nature slay. Jesu, my life, appear within, And bruise the serpent's head, Enter my soul, extirpate sin, Cast out the cursed seed. Thou wilt, I know, thou wilt appear, And end this inward strife, Thy harbinger proclaims thee near, And death makes way for life. Hast thou not made me willing, Lord? Would I not die this hour? Then speak the killing, quickening word, Slay, raise me by thy power. Slay me, and I in thee shall trust, With thy dead men arise, Awake, and sing from out the dust, Soon as this nature dies. O let it now make haste to die, The mortal wound receive; So shall I live; and yet not I, But Christ in me shall live. Be it according to thy word, This moment let it be, The life I lose for thee my Lord, I find again in thee. Page 217 "Watch in all things." 2 Timothy iv. 5. Jesu, my Saviour, brother, friend, On whom I cast my every care, On whom for all things I depend, Inspire, and then accept my prayer. If I have tasted of thy grace, The grace that sure salvation brings, If with me now thy Spirit stays, And hovering hides me in his wings.