Wesley Corpus

THE PROMISE of our God and Lord In vain doth antichrist deny, And scoff the everlasting word, And give THE TRUTH himself the lie. In vain the world as madness brands Our gospel-hope which cannot fail, THE PROMISE of the Father stands, And mocks the rage of earth and hell. Th' apostates toil with fruitless pain The word of none effect to prove, T' exclude thee from the heart of man, And drive thee to thy saints above. "The Spirit himself thou wilt not give," Thy truth and mercy they blaspheme, Without his inspiration live, And call it all a madman's dream. The grace, but not the Spirit of grace, Their learned fools vouchsafe t' allow, He might be giv'n in antient days, But God, they teach, is needless now. But God, we know, is giv'n indeed, And still doth in his people dwell, And him we every moment need, And him we every moment feel. The life of our indwelling God We feel by faith's internal sense, Our heart he makes his blest abode, And who shall force the Saviour thence? Page 12 Believing still in Jesu's name The witness in ourselves we know, And tell the world they all may claim The gift, and dwell with God below. The Holy Ghost, whom we partake, To all that ask is freely given; And lo! On this great truth we stake Our present and eternal heaven. Hymn IX.4 John xiv. 16, 17. Father, glorify thy Son, Answer his prevailing prayer, Send that Intercessor down, Send that other Comforter, Whom believingly we claim, Whom we ask in Jesu's name. Him the world cannot receive, Him they neither see nor know, Blind in unbelief they live, All his inward work below, All his inspirations deem Foolish as a madman's dream. But we know by faith and feel Him, the Spirit of truth and grace, With us he vouchsafes to dwell, With us, when unseen, he stays; All our help, and good we own Freely flows from him alone. Yet, alas, we cannot rest Help'd with an external guide, Till the transitory guest Enter, and in us abide: Give him, Lord, thy Spirit give, In us constantly to live. 4Manuscript version appears in MS John, 291. Page 13