Wesley Corpus

Thou out of great distress To thy reward art past, Triumphant happiness, And joys that always last: Thanks be to God, who set thee free, And gave the final victory. Thy victory we share, Thy glorious joy we feel, Parted in flesh we are, But join'd in spirit still: And still we on our brethren call To praise the common Lord of all. Not for your needless aid, Not for your useless prayers, (Jesus for us hath pray'd, And all our burthens bears) Yet still on you we call, and cry Extol the Lord of earth and sky. Thus let us still maintain Our fellowship divine, And 'till we meet again In Jesus' praises join, 103John Wesley crossed out this stanza in his personal copy of the 2nd edn. (1756). Page 81 Thus, 'till we all your raptures know, Sing you above, and we below! Desiring Death. Hymn XVI. Another On the Death of Thomas Beard, who was Imprest for a Soldier, and Died in the Hospital at Newcastle.104 All worship and love To the Father above, Who hath summon'd another his glory to prove: Who in pity and grace Hath shortned his race, And caught up a worm to the sight of his face. Our friend is at rest In a paradise blest, Which sorrow, and Satan can never molest: He hath shook off his clay, He is wafted away, And escap'd to the regions of permanent day. Thrice happy remove To a country above, Where all are employ'd in the triumph of love! We thitherward tend, We too shall ascend, And begin the enjoyment which never shall end. For this do we mourn, 'Till by angels upborn, We again to our heavenly border return: Caught up in the air We soon shall be there, And our happy, unfading inheritance share. What joy shall abound, When our brethren around The throne of our glorious Redeemer are found! 104A manuscript precursor of this hymn appears in MS Occasional Hymns, 45-48. Page 82 When our comrades in pain We embrace them again, And in Jesus's bosom eternally reign. With loving surprize The whole company cries How strangely at last are we met in the skies! What a wonder of grace Transcending our praise, That we should be seen in this holiest place!