Wesley Corpus

Page 260 Thou, who hast spoke my conscience clean, A second grace impart, Repeat the word that frees from sin, And make me pure in heart. "Abide in me." John xv. 4. I will abide in thee, my Lord, Till life's extremest hour, For thou who gav'st the gracious word, Shalt give the gracious power: And summon'd, with my friends above, Thine open face to see, An age of everlasting love I shall abide in thee. "Without me ye can do nothing." John xv. 5. Sever'd from Christ the root, I cannot bring forth fruit; But to my Saviour join'd, With all my heart and mind, I wait in impotence to prove The whole omnipotence of love. "Ye shall ask what ye will." John xv. 7. What shall I ask but thee? Thou, Lord, art all in one: In time and in eternity, I ask my God alone. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." John xv. 14. Who can the grace explain? My God doth condescend To call a worm, a man, A sinful man his friend! If answering his designs With a true heart and free, I do what he injoins, And doth himself in me. Page 261 "I have called you friends." John xv. 15. To be thy ministers above Seraphic flames aspire, But we by thy redeeming love We are exalted higher: Our thoughts and praises it transcends The love on man bestow'd; We are the favourites and friends, The bosom-friends of God! "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." John xv. 16. Thee we never could have chose, Dead in sins and trespasses: But thou hast redeem'd thy foes, Bought the universal peace, That all our ransom'd race might prove The sweetness of electing love. "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin." John xv. 24. Who to those gracious words of thine Might sinless their assent refuse, Soon as they saw thy works divine, Condemn'd and left without excuse, Their wilful unbelief they shew'd, And justly perish'd in their blood.