Wesley Corpus

Fulfil at last my heart's desire, And pluck the brand out of the fire, And save him by thy grace, So shall I manifest thy name, With all I have, and all I am, Devoted to thy praise. My son I will to thee restore, And anxious for the world no more, Cast all my care on thee, I and my house will serve the Lord, And wait, obedient to thy word, Thy glorious face to see. The True Use of Musick.63 Listed into the cause of sin, Why should a good be evil? Musick, alas! Too long has been Prest to obey the devil: Drunken, or lewd, or light the lay Flow'd to the soul's undoing, Widen'd, and strew'd with flowers the way Down to eternal ruin. Who on the part of God will rise, Innocent sound recover, 63A manuscript precursor of this hymn appears in MS Occasional Hymns, 74-76. See as well the altered version in MS Miscellaneous Poems, 9-11. Page 254 Fly on the prey, and take the prize, Plunder the carnal lover, Strip him of every moving strain, Every melting measure, Musick in virtue's cause retain, Rescue the holy pleasure? Come let us try if Jesu's love Will not as well inspire us: This is the theme of those above, This upon earth shall fire us. Say, if your hearts are tun'd to sing, Is there a subject greater? Harmony all its strains may bring, Jesus's name is sweeter. Jesus the soul of musick is; His is the noblest passion: Jesus's name is joy and peace, Happiness and salvation: Jesus's name the dead can raise, Shew us our sins forgiven, Fill us with all the life of grace, Carry us up to heaven. Who hath a right like us to sing, Us whom his mercy raises? Merry our hearts, for Christ is King, Chearful are all our faces: Who of his love doth once partake He evermore rejoices: Melody in our hearts we make, Melody with our voices. He that a sprinkled conscience hath, He that in God is merry, Let him sing psalms, the Spirit saith, Joyful, and never weary, Page 255 Offer the sacrifice of praise, Hearty, and never ceasing, Spiritual songs and anthems raise, Honour, and thanks, and blessing.