Wesley Corpus

With love we receive the power to obey, Unspotted to live, unwearied to pray: His burthens we bear, while here we remain, His agonies share, and suffer to reign. "With such an one no not to eat." 1 Cor. v. 11. Servants of Christ, your rule is plain; Who bears the hallow'd name in vain, And claims the right of brotherhood, Out of your fellowship exclude; Avoid, (but hate not, or despise) The slave of lust, and avarice, And intimate in no degree, Ye Christians, with a railer be. "No drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor. vi. 10. See, thou wretched slave accurst, The end of thy excess, Drunkenness annext to thirst, And hell to drunkenness! Plung'd in that infernal pool, How wilt thou gnaw thy tongue in pain, Water want thy tongue to cool, And ask a drop in vain! "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost." 1 Cor. vi. 19. Holy Ghost, we know thou art Still in every faithful heart; 43John Wesley underlined "talk of perfection" in his personal copy. Page 292 Yes; we tremble, Lord, to know God resides in man below! O might all our bodies be Sensibly replete with thee, O might all thy temples shine Bright with holiness divine! "Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God." 1 Cor. vi. 20. God, who didst so dearly buy These wretched souls of ours, Help us thee to glorify With all our ransom'd powers: Ours they are not, Lord, but thine; Let the vessels of thy grace, Body, soul, and spirit, join In their Redeemer's praise. "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." 1 Cor. viii. 1. Knowledge howe'er sublime What doth it profit me? It only aggravates my crime, Distinct from charity: On all mankind beside It tempts me to look down, And whispers to my learned pride, That I am wise alone. But the pure gospel-grace Whoe'er with Christ receives, Little, and mean, and vile, and base In his own eyes he lives: That simple love divine To me, to me be given, And humble this proud soul of mine, And then exalt to heaven. Page 293 "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: left that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." 1 Cor. ix. 27.