Wesley Corpus

See him between the dying thieves, His grace the parting soul relieves 40"Gracious" was changed to "glorious" in the 2nd edn. (1755), perhaps by mistake. It was restored by hand to "gracious" in John Wesley's personal copy of the 2nd edn. Page 64 Ev'n at its latest hour: Ask, and his grace shall reach to thee, "Jesus, my King, remember me, Display thy mercy's power. "Thee for my Lord, and God I own, With pity see me from thy throne, And though my body dies, My soul, if thou thy Spirit give, My happy soul to day shall live, With thee in paradise." Another For a Dying Unconverted Sinner.41 And must thou perish in thy blood, A wretched soul that knows not God, A child of Satan thou! Thy foes, and fears, and sins prevail; Arrested by the pains of hell, Where is thy refuge now! Caught in the toils of death thou art, All-unrenew'd and foul thy heart, And fill'd with guilty fear: See there! The king of fears is come! Prepare to meet thine instant doom, Before thy God appear. Vain are thy tears and late remorse; The tyrant sits on his pale horse, Devourer of mankind, Attended by a ghastly train, Sorrow, astonishment, and pain, And hell comes close behind. Ready to pierce thy trembling heart, The grisly terror shakes his dart, 41Manuscript precursors of this hymn appear in MS Cheshunt, 44-46; MS Clarke, 49-51; and MS Shent, 145a-145b. Page 65 And hell expects its prey! Ready a troop of devils stands To take thee from the monster's hands, And hurry thee away. What hope, or help remains for thee? Poor desp'rate soul, and can it be That thou should'st mercy find? Ask him, who spilt his precious blood, To buy, and bring thee back to God, To ransom all mankind. Call, on the name of Jesus call, Ask, if he did not die for all, That all might turn and live? Call on him in this latest hour; Hell is not readier to devour, Than Jesus to forgive. Sufficient is his grace for thee: Straitned for time he cannot be; Thy dying groan he hears: Jesus is mighty to redeem; A day, a moment's space, with him Is as a thousand years.