Wesley Corpus

Then let us still his cross sustain, A Father's chastisements receive, And waiting thus the prize to gain, We shall the life divine retrieve, And put thy sinless image on, Pure members of thy perfect Son. 105John Wesley underlined "sharpest agonies" in his personal copy, writing in the margin "No." 106John Wesley underlined "bitterest cup" in line 1, "heaviest load" in line 2, and "only such" in line 5 in his personal copy. Page 375 "No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness, unto them which are exercised thereby." Heb. xii. 11. Afflicted by a gracious God, The stroke I patiently sustain, Grievous to feeble flesh and blood; Unable to rejoice in pain, Beneath a Father's hand I bow, And groan to feel the chastening now. But when he hath my patience prov'd, And sees me to his will resign'd, His heavy hand and rod remov'd Shall leave its blest effects behind, The sure, inviolable peace,107 The fruit of finish'd righteousness. This pain, this consecrated pain, With which my soul and flesh are fill'd, His instrument if he ordain, The pure and perfect love shall yield; But by whatever means 'tis done, The work, and praise is all his own. "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Heb. xii. 14. Throughout my fallen soul I feel, Salvation is impossible! A stranger to his grace, Unchang'd, unhallow'd, unrestor'd, I cannot stand before the Lord, Or see Jehovah's face. That finish'd holiness alone, That image of the God unknown A sinner qualifies For fellowship with Christ above, And gives the perfected in love To meet his glorious eyes. 107John Wesley underlined this line in his personal copy, writing in the margin "See p. 374" (where he apparently sensed a contradictory claim). Page 376 O would my Lord to me impart The spotless purity of heart, For which so long I pine! Jesus, my true perfection be, And swallow up my soul in thee, The depths of LOVE divine.