Wesley Corpus

Ye faithful souls, rejoice in him, Whose arms are still your sure defence, Your Lord is mighty to redeem: Believe; and who shall pluck you thence? Ye men of upright hearts be glad, For Jesus is your God and friend, He keeps whoe'er on him are stay'd, And he shall keep them to the end. Psalm XXXVI.29 My heart to every vice inclin'd, The sinner's closest sin bewrays30 The fear of God he casts behind, He hides himself among the trees, Self-soothing in his lost estate Sleeps on secure, and wakes too late. His words are all deceit and lies, He hatches mischief on his bed; No longer to salvation wise: In every thought and word and deed He cleaves to sin and sin alone; Evil and he I find are one. But thou, O Lord, art full of grace, Above the clouds thy mercies rise, Stedfast thy truth and faithfulness, Thy word of promise never dies, Nor earth can shake, nor hell remove The base of thine eternal love. Unsearchable thy judgments are, A boundless bottomless abyss: But, lo! Thy providential care O'er all thy works extended is; In thee the creatures live and move, And are: All glory to thy love! Thy love sustains the world it made, Thy love preserves both man and beast, Beneath thy wing's almighty shade The sons of men securely rest; Page 73 31A manuscript version appears in MS Psalms, 118-32; and MS Thirty, 44-49. 32Ori., "hast." 33Ori., "comliness." And those who haunt the hallow'd place Shall banquet on thy richest grace. Their souls shall drink the crystal stream Which ever issues from thy throne: Fountain of joy and bliss supream, Eternal life and thou art one, To us, to all so freely given, The light of life, the heaven of heaven! Stay then with those that know thy peace, The simple men of heart sincere, From all their foes and sins release, From pride and lust redeem them here, Thine utmost saving grace extend, And love, O love them to the end. The prayer is seal'd: we now foresee The downfal of our inbred foes: Jesus hath got the victory, His own right-hand our sins o'erthrows, Destroys their being with their power: They die, they fall to rise no more. Psalm XLV.31