Wesley Corpus

Shew them they never yet receiv'd In truth whom they in words profess, They never yet in Christ believ'd, Or own'd the Lord their righteousness, Still in the damning sin they lie, As pleas'd in unbelief to die. People and priest are doubly dead, Are aliens from the life divine, Gross darkness o'er the earth is spread, Till thou into the conscience shine, The powerful quick conviction dart, And sound the unbelieving heart. O would18 thou now in all reveal The righteous wrath of hostile heaven, Because the blood they will not feel, The blood that shews their sins forgiven; They will not him, their Lord, receive, They will not come to Christ and live. Hymn XVIII.19 Arm of the Lord, awake, awake, The terrors of the Lord display, Out of their sins the nations shake, Tear their vain confidence away, Conclude them all in unbelief, And fill their hearts with sacred grief. Impart the salutary pain, The sudden soul-condemning power, Blow on the Godliness20 of man, Wither the grass, and blast the flower, That, when their works are all o'erthrown, The word of grace may stand alone. Trouble the souls who know not God, Their careless, Christless spirits wound, 18"Would" changed to "wouldst" in 1768 1786 edns. 19Manuscript version appears in MS John, 332-33. 20"Godliness" changed to "goodliness" in 3rd edn. (1747) only. Page 22 O'erwhelm with their own sinful load, And all their virtuous pride confound, Their depth of wickedness reveal, And shake them o're the mouth of hell. Naked and destitute and blind Themselves let the poor wretches see, Their total fall lament to find; Till every mouth is stopt by thee, And all the world with concious fear Guilty before their God appear. Guilty because they know not him Who liv'd and died their souls to save, Who came his people to redeem No part or lot in Christ they have, Till thou the painful veil remove, And shew their hearts his dying love. Hymn XIX.21 John xvi. 10. Come then to those who want thine aid, Who now beneath their burthen groan, Bind up the wound thyself hast made, The righteousness of faith make known, (Offer'd to all of Adam's line,) The perfect righteousness divine.