Wesley Corpus

Page 103 But left a sacred pledge behind: See here! It on thy altar lies, Memorial of the sacrifice He offer'd once for all mankind. Father, the grand oblation see, The death as present now with thee, As when he gasp'd on earth "Forgive!" Answer, and shew the curse remov'd, Accept us in the well-belov'd, And bid thy world of rebels live. Hymn CXXII. Father, let the sinner go, The Lamb did once atone, Lo! We to thy justice shew The Passion of thy Son; Thus to thee we set it forth: He the dying precept gave, He, who hath sufficient worth A thousand worlds to save. Can thy justice aught36 reply To our prevailing plea? Jesus died thy grace to buy For all mankind and me; Still before thy righteous throne Stands the Lamb as newly slain: Canst thou turn away thy Son, Or let him bleed in vain? Still the wounds are open wide, The blood doth freely flow, As when first his sacred side Receiv'd the deadly blow: 36Ori. (in all edns.), "ought"; a misprint. Page 104 Still, O God, the blood is warm, Cover'd with the blood we are; Find a part it doth not arm, And strike the sinner there! Hymn CXXIII. O thou whose offering on the tree The legal offerings all foreshew'd, Borrow'd their whole effect from thee, And drew their virtue from thy blood; The blood of goats and bullocks slain Could never for one sin atone; To purge the guilty offerer's stain Thine was the work, and thine alone. Vain in themselves their duties were, Their services could never please, 'Till join'd with thine, and made to share The merits of thy righteousness: Forward they cast a faithful look On thy approaching sacrifice, And thence their pleasing savour took, And rose accepted in the skies. Those feeble types and shadows old Are all in thee the truth fulfill'd, And thro' this Sacrament we hold The substance in our hearts reveal'd; By faith we see thy sufferings past In this mysterious rite37 brought back, And on thy grand oblation cast Its saving benefit partake. Memorial of thy sacrifice This eucharistick mystery The full atoning grace supplies, And sanctifies our gifts in thee: 37"Rite" mistakenly replaced by "right" in 2nd edn. (1747), 3rd edn. (1751), and 4th edn. (1757).