Wesley Corpus

The Christian rule to few is known: Who truly bear the name, They triumph in his cross alone, And glory in his shame; To pleasure, fame, and riches dead, They in the world reside, Conform'd in sufferings to their head, With Jesus crucified. Christians indeed are creatures new, Their Saviour's mind express, And walking in his steps, they shew The power of godliness: The church in every age is found Compos'd of none but these: O may they live with mercy crown'd, And everlasting peace! "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Gal. vi. 17. What are those marks th' apostle bears? Sad, sacred grief alone declares, Grief from the Man of Sorrows took, Grief that I am of God forsook! The nails, the thorns, the spear I feel, The Saviour's grief unspeakable, Which, 'till my soul and body part, Pierces my soul, and breaks my heart!52 52John Wesley underlined "sacred grief" in line 2 and all of lines 4 7 in his personal copy, drawing an exclamation point in the margin near line 4. Page 312 Hymn 606. "In whom we have redemption thro' his blood, the forgiveness of sins." Eph. i. 7. Liberty in Christ we have, Forgiveness thro' his blood, Feel his present power to save, By sin no more subdued: When he wash'd us white as snow, Cloath'd with righteousness and power, Jesus loos'd, and bad us go, And yield to sin no more. "By grace are ye saved, thro' faith." Eph. ii. 8. Father, we give thee all the praise, Thy mercy, love, and causeless grace,53 The source of our salvation own; But that which Jesu's blood applies, Absolves, and wholly sanctifies, Is faith, almighty faith alone: And when our faith in vision ends, And when the spotless bride ascends, We shall repeat the song above, Our Saviour on the throne proclaim, Sav'd by the Father, and the Lamb, Forever happy in thy love. 53John Wesley substituted "boundless" for "causeless" in manuscript in his personal copy.