Wesley Corpus

O immaculate Lamb! Thy disciple I am, And in following thee thy assistance I claim: Thy assistance is nigh; And on this I rely, And obediently come with my Saviour to die. Though of dying afraid, Through the horrible shade, In view of thy cross I may walk undismay'd: To banish my fear, My despondence to chear, In thy crimson apparel, O Jesus! Appear. Thou hast pacified God; And the mountainous load Of my guilt is remov'd by thy all-cleansing blood: Only shew on the tree Thy passion for me, And an end of my sin and my sorrow I see. 'Tis finish'd, 'tis done! By Messias alone, The wine-press is trod, and the victory won: Page 25 I have nothing to dread, Since my surety has bled, And Jehovah himself has expir'd in my stead. The salvation is sure, Which he died to procure For whoever believe to the end and indure: I in Jesus confide, And can all things abide, With a God of omnipotent love on my side. Departing in thee, Thee, Lord, may I see Walking on in the shadowy valley with me: Then all evil is o'er, And I suffer no more, With my Saviour arriv'd at the heavenly shore. Hymn XXIII.4 Thou hast restrain'd my soul from sin, And still, O Lord, restrain, Till, born of God,5 and pure within, I cannot sin again: I cannot thy good Spirit grieve, Or take the tempter's part, Or basely to the creature cleave, When thou hast all my heart. O that it might this moment be, O that I now could prove The blest impossibility Of trampling on thy love! Instant for this thou hear'st me pray With groans unspeakable, O take the carnal mind away, And empty me of hell. 4A looseleaf version of this hymn is present in MARC (MA 1977/594/8, 3). It contains only a couple of variants, which are noted below. 5MA 1977/594/8, 3 substitutes "Thee" for "God." Page 26 Thy nature's purity reveal, And plant the heaven in me; And now my gasping spirit fill6 With love's immensity: The love which casts out fear and sin, Which thou, my Jesus, art, Bring with thy Father's fulness in, And take up all my heart.