Wesley Corpus

O Jesu, full of pardning grace, More full of grace than I of sin; Yet once again I seek thy face. Open thine arms and take me in, And freely my backslidings heal, And love the faithless sinner still. 85Manuscript precursors of this hymn appear in MS Shent, 92a-92b; and MS Thirty, 62-63. Page 159 Thou knowst the way to bring me back, My fallen spirit to restore; O for thy truth and mercy sake, Forgive, and bid me sin no more, The ruins of my soul repair, And make my heart an house of prayer. The stone to flesh again convert, The veil of sin once more remove, Drop thy warm blood86 upon my heart, And melt it with thy dying love: This rebel-heart by love subdue, And make it soft, and make it new. Give to mine eyes refreshing tears, And kindle my relentings now, Fill all my soul with filial fears, To thy sweet yoke my spirit, bow, Bend by thy grace, O bend, or break The iron sinew in my neck. Ah! Give me, Lord, the tender heart, That trembles at the approach of sin, A godly fear of sin impart, Implant, and root it deep within, That I may dread thy gracious power, And never dare offend thee more. After a Recovery. Hymn III.88 O thou meek, and injur'd Dove, Wherefore dost thou strive with me? Me, who still abuse thy love, Me who grieve, and fly from thee! Thee why should I longer grieve? Leave me Lord, thy rebel leave. 86John Wesley substituted "Sprinkle thy blood" for "Drop thy warm blood" in manuscript in his personal copy of the 2nd edn. (1755). 87John Wesley crossed out this hymn in his personal copy of the 2nd edn. (1755). 88Manuscript precursors of this hymn appear in MS Cheshunt, 76; and MS Clarke, 84-85. Page 160 Well thou knowst, if now my heart Melts to feel thy softning grace, Ready am I to depart, Thine to quit for sin's embrace; Take thy mercy back again, Wherefore shouldst thou strive in vain? O that I might never feel One desire or drawing more; Rather than provoke thee still, Now let all the strife be o'er, Drive me from thy blissful face, Let me go to my own place: