Wesley Corpus

What extasy of bliss is there, While all th' angelic concert share, And drink the floating joys! What more than extasy, when all Struck to the golden pavement fall At Jesus' glorious voice. Jesus! The heaven of heavens43 he is, The soul of harmony and bliss! And while on him we gaze, And while his glorious voice we hear, Our spirits are all eye, all ear, And silence speaks his praise. 42Ori., "the"; corrected in errata and all later editions. 43"Heavens" changed to "heaven" in 5th edn. (1756) and following. Page 36 O might I die that awe to prove, That prostrate awe which dares not move Before the great Three-One, To shout by turns the bursting joy, And all eternity employ In songs around the throne. Hymn XXVI. On the Death of a Child. And is the lovely shadow fled, The blooming wonder of her years, So soon inshrin'd among the dead She justly claims our pious tears, Who to those heavenly spirits join'd Hath left our44 wretched world behind. Her early shortliv'd excellence With meek submission we bemoan, Snatch'd in a fatal moment hence, Gone from our arms, to Jesus'45 gone, To heighten by her swift remove The grief below, and joy above. In vain the dear departing saint Forbids our gushing tears to flow, "Forbear, my friends, your fond complaint From earth to heaven I gladly go To glorious company above, Bright angels, and the God of love. "O praise him, and rejoice for me So happy, happy, in my God! So soon from all my pain set free, And hasten to that blest abode, With swift desire my steps pursue, And take the prize prepar'd for you. 44"Our" changed to "a" in 4th edn. (1755) and following. 45"Jesus'" changed to "Jesus" in 5th edn. (1756) and following. Page 37 "Meet am I for the great reward, The great reward, I know, is mine: Come, O my sweet redeeming Lord, Open those loving arms of thine, And take me up thy face to see, And let me die to live with thee." The prayer is seal'd, the soul is fled, And sees her Saviour face to face: But still she speaks to us, tho' dead, She calls us to that heavenly place, Where all the storms of life are o'er, And pain and parting is no more. Hymn XXVII.46 To: "Ah, woe is me, constrain'd to dwell."