Wesley Corpus

The drunkards proclaim At midnight their shame, Their sacrifice bring, And loud to the praise of their master they sing: The hellish desires Which Satan inspires, In sonnets they breathe, And shouting descend to the mansions123 of death. The civiller croud, In theatres proud, Acknowledge his power, And Satan in nightly assemblies adore: To the masque and the ball They fly at his call; 123"Mansions" changed to "regions" in Watchnight Hymns (1750). Page 141 Or in pleasures excel, And chaunt in a grove to the harpers of hell. And shall we not sing Our Master and King While men are at rest, With Jesus admitted at midnight to feast? Here only we may With innocence stay, The enjoyment improve, And abide at the banquet of Jesus's love. In him is bestow'd The spiritual food, The manna divine, And Jesus's love is far better than wine: With joy we receive The blessing, and give By day and by night, All thanks to the source of our endless delight. Our concert of praise To Jesus we raise, And all the night long Continue the new evangelical song: We dance to the fame Of Jesus's name, The joy it imparts Is heaven begun in our musical hearts. Thus, thus we bestow Our moments below, And singing remove, With all the redeem'd to the Sion above: There, there shall we stand124 With our harps in our hand, Interrupted no more, And eternally sing, and rejoice, and adore. Ranelagh's Gardens, Vaux-Hall, c. 124Changed to "There, there we shall stand" in Watchnight Hymns (1750). Page 142 Hymns for the Watch-Night. Hymn XVIII. Ye virgin souls arise, With all the dead awake, Unto salvation wise, Oil in your vessels take, Upstarting at the midnight cry, Behold the heavenly Bridegroom nigh. He comes, he comes to call The nations to his bar, And raise to glory all Who fit for glory are; Made ready for your full reward, Go forth with joy to meet your Lord. Go meet him in the sky Your everlasting friend, Your head to glorify With all his saints ascend, Ye pure in heart, obtain the grace To see without a veil his face. Ye that have here receiv'd The unction from above, And in his Spirit liv'd Obedient to his love, Jesus shall claim you for his bride; Rejoice with all the sanctified.