Wesley Corpus

He in our mortal flesh reveal'd, The types substantially fulfil'd, By one sufficient sacrifice, Forever smoaking thro' the skies, He answer'd the demand of God, And quench'd the wrath with all his blood. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" John i. 29. Did Jesus for the world atone? "Yes; for the world of the elect:" LOVE could not die for some alone, And all the wretched rest reject: For the whole helpless world that lay In desperate wickedness, he died, And all who dare believe it, may With me be freely justified. Charg'd with the universal load, The sins of every soul, and mine, By faith I see the Lamb of God, The bleeding sacrifice divine! My sins, transfer'd from me to him, Shall never be by justice found, All carried down that purple stream, All in that open fountain drown'd! Page 242 "Many believed in his name: but Jesus did not commit himself unto them." John ii. 23, 24. Jesus, thou know'st what is in man, So false, and changeable, and vain: If now we in thy name believe, If thee this moment we receive, The next we cast our faith away, And basely our dear Lord betray. Thou canst not to our keeping trust Thy grace, no sooner gain'd than lost: But that we may in thee confide, With us continually abide, A people for thyself prepare, And keep our hearts by reigning there. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John iii. 3. The truth, and blessedness, and need Of this great change I know: But can I witness it indeed, Can I the tokens shew? Marks of this birth, they all are vain Without the Spirit's power: Then only am I born again, When I can sin no more. "How can a man be born when he is old?" John iii. 4. I ask no more, how can it be? But leave the manner now to thee, And wait in age to prove That heavenly birth, by faith restor'd To all the image of my Lord, To all the life of love.