Wesley Corpus

"But we now, the prize t' attain, An easier method see, Save ourselves the toil and pain, And ling'ring agony, Reach at once the ladder's top, While standing on its lowest round, Instantaneously spring up, With pure perfection crown'd."56 Such the credulous dotard's dream, And such his shorter road, Thus he makes the world blaspheme, And shames the church of God, Staggers thus the most sincere, 'Till from the gospel hope they move Holiness as error fear, And start at perfect love.57 Lord, thy real work revive, The counterfeit to end.58 That we lawfully may strive, And truly apprehend, Humbly still thy servant trace, Who least of saints himself did call, 'Till we gain the height of grace, And into nothing fall. 56John Wesley underlined "ling'ring" in line 4, "at once" in line 5, and "Instantaneously" in line 7 in his personal copy, drawing an exclamation point in the margin after line 4. 57John Wesley underlined "credulous dotard's" in line 1 and "shames the church" in line 4 in his personal copy. 58John Wesley underlined "real work" in line 1 and "counterfeit to end" in line 2 in his personal copy, drawing an exclamation point in the margin after line 1. Page 318 Hymn 621. "Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance." Col. i. 12. What is that meetness for the skies? Hard labouring in the vale below, I ask, What is my calling's prize? And all within me groans to know: Who shall that holiness explain? Adam, descended from above, Answer by forming me again,59 By perfecting my soul in love. "Be not moved away from the hope of the gospel." Col. i. 23. What is that gospel-hope? To be redeem'd from sin, After his likeness to wake up, Holy and pure within, The Lord with all our mind And soul and strength to love, To lose our life for Christ, and find A better life above. This hope of holiness, Still may I hold it fast, And toward the prize unwearied press, 'Till all my deaths are past! 59John Wesley drew a pointing finger (7) in the margin of his personal copy opposite this line. Page 319 My Captain and my head Did to the end endure: And I thro' sufferings perfected, Shall find his promise sure.