Wesley Corpus

'Till farther still by faith we go, And nearer view the opening skies, And more and more like Christ below, To all his glorious stature rise. That highest point of love divine, To all that heaven we here arrive, And then our parting souls resign, And cease at once to grow, and live. This is his acceptable will, That we on earth should holy be, The fulness of his Spirit feel, And live from sin for ever free. No more in our imperfect state, Feeble, and babes in Christ no more, But strong in him, and truly great, And fill'd with all his love and power. Children we liv'd, alas! Too long, Tost to and fro with every wind, And many a false, deceitful tongue Subverted our unstable mind. Page 178 Carried about from God's own ways, At every smooth seducer's will, We left the channels of his grace, And slothfully at last stood still. With speeches fair, and glozing lies They watch'd, and strove to cast us down, Remove us from our calling's prize, O'erturn our faith, and take our crown. But let us now the promise prove, And perfect holiness below, Hold fast, and speak the truth in love, And up to Christ in all things grow. We all shall gain what we pursue, Be pure in heart, and saints indeed, Grafted in Christ, and creatures new; The members shall be like their head. From him the quickning Spirit flows, And lo! The social members join, The well-compacted body grows, And swells with energy divine. By that which every joint supplies The whole doth still increase, and move, 'Till all compleat the body rise, And perfectly built up in love. Hymns for Those that Wait for Full Redemption. Hymn XXV.32 Come let us arise, And aim at the prize, The hope of our calling on this side the skies. 32A manuscript precursor of this hymn appears in MS Cheshunt, 216-17. Page 179 By works let us shew That Jesus we know, While steadily on to perfection we go. But may we not strive, Yet never arrive To be saints, or to live without sin, while alive? No, no, never fear, If we look for him here, But our uttermost Saviour in us shall appear. We dare not believe, That God can deceive, And never intend what he promis'd to give.