Wesley Corpus

By thy first blood-shedding heal us; Cut us off from every sin, By thy circumcision seal us, Write thy law of love within; By thy Spirit circumcise us: Kindle in our hearts a flame; By thy baptism baptize us19 Into all thy glorious name. 17Manuscript precursors of this hymn appear in MS Shent, 51a-53a; and MS Thirty, 141-44. 18Ori., "1"; a misprint. 19In his personal copy of the 1754 edn. John Wesley suggested that the metre of this line would be stronger if one inserted "Lord" between "baptism" and "baptize." Charles's alternative was to insert "now" in this location in the 1777 edn. and following. Page 11 By thy fasting and temptation Mortify our vain desires, Take away what sense, or passion, Appetite, or flesh requires: Arm us with thy self-denial, Every tempted soul defend, Save us in the firey trial, Make us faithful to the end. By thy sorer sufferings20 save us, Save us when conform'd to thee, By thy miseries relieve us, By thy painful agony; When beneath thy frown we languish, When we feel thine anger's weight, Save us by thine unknown anguish, Save us by thy bloody sweat. By that highest point of passion, By thy sufferings21 on the tree, Save us from the indignation Due to all mankind, and me: Hanging, bleeding, panting, dying, Gasping out thy latest breath, By thy precious death's applying Save us from eternal death. From the world of care release us, By thy decent burial save, Crucified with thee, O Jesus, Hide us in thy quiet grave: By thy power divinely glorious, By thy resurrection's power Raise us up, o'er sin victorious, Raise us up to fall no more. By the pomp of thine ascending, Live we here to heaven restor'd, Live in pleasures never ending, Share the portion of our Lord: Let us have our conversation With the blessed spirits above, Sav'd with all thy great salvation, Perfectly renew'd in love. 20"Sufferings" changed to "suffering" in the 1747-51 edns. 21"Sufferings" changed to "suffering" in 1754 edn.; as in Festival Hymns (1746). Page 12 Glorious head, triumphant Saviour, High enthron'd above all height, We have now thro' thee found favour, Righteous in thy Father's sight: Hears he not thy prayer unceasing? Can he turn away thy face: Send us down the22 purchas'd blessing, Fulness of the gospel-grace.