Wesley Corpus

Nature would fain evade, or flee That sad necessity of pain;13 But who refuse to die with thee, With thee shall never, never reign: The sorrow doth the joy insure, The crown for conquerors prepar'd; And all who to the end endure, Shall grasp thro' death the full reward. "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." Matt. xx. 28. Not in a king's, but servant's form Our Lord appear'd beneath, To wait on every sinful worm, And save them by his death: Ye know not what is implied in being advanced in my kingdom, and necessarily prerequired thereto: All who share in my kingdom must first share in my sufferings. The Rev. Mr. John Wesley's Notes on the New Testament. 12John Wesley underlined "first" in line 4 and "must first" in line 5 in his personal copy. 13John Wesley underlined "necessity of" in his personal copy. Page 180 But we shall see him come from high The glorious Son of man, And all the angels of the sky Triumphant in his train. "The Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many." Matt. xx. 28. Ev'n those unhappy souls he bought Who their redeeming Lord deny, Will not by him to life be brought, But self-destroy'd forever die. "Jesus cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple." Matt. xxi. 12. Saviour, who dost with anger see The lusts which steal my heart from thee, The thieves out of thy temple chase, And plant thy Spirit in their place, And when my God inhabits there, My heart shall be thine house of prayer. "And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them." Matt. xxi. 14. Blind to thee, O Lord, and lame I into the temple came: There I first receiv'd from thee Strength to walk, and sight to see, There I found my pardon seal'd, There my unbelief was heal'd. "How camest thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment?" Matt. xxii. 12. Jesus, prepare thy meanest guest, Since thou hast bid me to the feast, Cloath with a covering from above, The Spirit of thy spotless love, And make the wedding-garment mine, That robe of righteousness divine.