Wesley Corpus

Page 185 "Live without sin! Impossible! With God impossible is this: At least he will not sanctify, He will not cleanse us 'till we die." Poor, abject souls! They tell thee, Lord, Thou shalt not in their life-time save; Thou never canst fulfil thy word, Before they drop into the grave; But when their sins no more can stay, Thou then mayst take their sins away. The great salvation thou hast wrought, They cannot, will not yet receive, Or bear th' intolerable thought, While living, without sin to live; They keep it to their latest breath, Sinners in life, and saints in death. Saints without holiness are they, Elect without election's seal, They do, yet cannot, fall away; In Christ, and yet in sin they dwell: Their freemen are to evil sold, Their creatures new are creatures old. Sinners, and saints at once they are, They send forth bitter streams and sweet; Good trees, yet evil fruit they bear, And Christ in them and Belial meet: Their pure in heart are all unclean, And born of God they can't but sin. No promise can their wisdom find Of sinless holiness below; To sin, and yet to Jesus, join'd: And on they to perfection go, To what they never can attain, As God had bid them seek in vain. Page 186 Ah! Foolish man, where are thine eyes, To search for the meridian sun! Thou canst not see thy calling's prize, Thou wilt not love thy God alone; Blind thro' the love of sin thou art, And still the veil is on thy heart. O that the veil might now be rent! Give up your sins, ye faithless race, To part with all for Christ consent, Accept the offers of his grace, His holy will submit to prove, And take the crown of perfect love. Hymns for Those that Wait for Full Redemption. Hymn XXX.37 And shall we then abide in sin, Nor hope on earth to be set free? Hath Jesus bled to wash us clean, To save from all iniquity, And can he not his blood apply, And cleanse, and save us 'till we die? Alas! If their report be true, Who teach that sin must still remain, If sin we scarcely can subdue, But never full redemption gain, Where is thy power, Almighty Lord? Where is thine everlasting word?