Wesley Corpus

O thou, to whose all-searching sight The darkness shineth as the light, Search, prove my heart; it pants for thee: O burst these bands, and set it free. Wash out its stains, refine the dross, Nail my affections to the cross! Hallow each thought; let all within Be clean, as thou, my Lord, art clean. If in this darksome wild I stray, Be thou my light, be thou my way: No foes, no violence I fear, No fraud, while thou, my God, art near. When rising floods my head o'erflow, When sinks my heart in waves of woe, Jesu, thy timely aid impart, And raise my head, and chear my heart. Saviour, where'er thy steps I see, Dauntless, untir'd I follow thee: O let thy hand support me still, And lead me to thy holy hill. Page 19 15Source: Paul Gerhardt. First appeared in HSP (1739), 156-59. 16HSP (1739) original read "This holy flame ...." If rough and thorny be my way, My strength proportion to my day: Till toil, and grief, and pain shall cease, Where all is calm, and joy, and peace. Living by Christ.15 Jesu, thy boundless love to me No thought can reach, no tongue declare: O knit my thankful heart to thee, And reign without a rival there. Thine wholly, thine alone I am: Be thou alone my constant flame. O grant, that nothing in my soul May dwell, but thy pure love alone: O may thy love possess me whole, My joy, my treasure, and my crown. Strange fires far from my soul remove, My ev'ry act, word, thought, be love. O love, how chearing is thy ray? All pain before thy presence flies! Care, anguish, sorrow melt away Where'er thy healing beams arise: O Jesu, nothing may I see, Nothing hear, feel or think but thee! Unweary'd may I this pursue, Dauntless to the high prize aspire; Hourly within my breast renew This only16 flame, this heav'nly fire; Page 20 And day and night be all my care To guard this sacred treasure there. My Saviour, thou thy love to me In want, in shame, in pain hast shew'd, For me on the accursed tree Thou pouredst forth thy guiltless blood: Thy wounds upon my heart impress, Nor ought shall the lov'd stamp efface.