Wesley Corpus

Jesus, thy gracious nature tell, Thy saving name in me reveal, The tort'ring passion to remove, T' expel what now thou dost controul, Thy nature speak into my soul Thy favourite name of perfect love. "He found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us." Hosea xii. 4. Whom Jacob once in Bethel found, We too have found the Lord, Have heard his voice of mercy sound, His reconciling word; Where first we felt the sprinkled blood, And saw our sins forgiven, This is, we cried, the house of God, This is the gate of heaven! "Israel served for a wife." Hosea xii. 12. While Jacob for a wife doth wait, A length of servile years (His love to Rachel is so great) As a few days appears: And shall I think it long to stay, Or wish my labours past? A thousand years are but a day, If Christ be mine at last. Page 72 "Thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help." Hosea xiii. 9. Self-destroy'd for help I pray: Help me, Saviour, from above, Help me to believe, obey, Help me to repent, and love, Help to keep the graces given, Help me quite from hell to heaven. "I will be thy King." Hosea xiii. 10. On earth I ask no more Than to be rul'd by thee: Thy kingdom, Lord, restore, Set up thy throne in me, Then shall I own with those above Omnipotence is lost in love. "I will ransom them from the power of the grave." Hosea xiii. 14. Can the bands of death detain One from sin by Jesus freed? Surely I shall live again, Feel the voice that wakes the dead, Rise triumphant o'er the tomb, See my heavenly Saviour come. "Take away all iniquity." Hosea xiv. 2. More than for ease in mortal pain, For purity I pray: Let all thy plagues on me remain, But take my sins away: My sins, e'en all my sins remove; I nothing else desire; O let me taste thy perfect love, And at thy feet expire. "I will heal their backsliding." Hosea xiv. 4. How am I heal'd, if still again I must relapse with grief and pain Page 73 Into my old disease? If Christ, with all his power and love Can never perfectly remove My desperate wickedness?