 | The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
CCVI. FOR THOSE WHO BEGIN TO BE AWAKENED.
O Thou who hast in mercy sought
The souls that went astray,
And snatch'd us from the pit, and brought
To see this gospel day:
The souls that went astray,
And snatch'd us from the pit, and brought
To see this gospel day:
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Still in Thy mercy's arms embrace,
Thy servants still defend,
And carry on Thy work of grace,
And save us to the end.
Thy servants still defend,
And carry on Thy work of grace,
And save us to the end.
For what Thou hast already done,
Jesus, Thy name we bless,
Redeem'd by Thy dear name alone
From outward wickedness.
Jesus, Thy name we bless,
Redeem'd by Thy dear name alone
From outward wickedness.
Too long alas, we lived in sin,
Unholy, and unjust,
And wallow'd in the acts unclean
Of drunkenness and lust.
Unholy, and unjust,
And wallow'd in the acts unclean
Of drunkenness and lust.
By anger, malice, hatred, pride,
By fraud and falsehood we,
By oaths and blasphemies defied
Thy awful Majesty.
By fraud and falsehood we,
By oaths and blasphemies defied
Thy awful Majesty.
Thy Spirit of grace we daily grieved
By riot, and excess,
In pleasures and diversions lived,
In hellish harmlessness.
By riot, and excess,
In pleasures and diversions lived,
In hellish harmlessness.
Lovers of pleasure, more than God,
We sought the things below,
And eagerly the world pursued,
And cared not Thee to know.
We sought the things below,
And eagerly the world pursued,
And cared not Thee to know.
Slaves to our lusts we all have been,
Profaned Thy day and name,
Sported ourselves with hell and sin,
And gloried in our shame.
Profaned Thy day and name,
Sported ourselves with hell and sin,
And gloried in our shame.
Despisers of the gospel word
Too long alas, were we;
And in Thy helpless followers, Lord,
We persecuted Thee.
Too long alas, were we;
And in Thy helpless followers, Lord,
We persecuted Thee.
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Haters of those that would be good,
Nor in our evil join,
By Satan urged to shed their blood
Who pointed us to Thine.
Nor in our evil join,
By Satan urged to shed their blood
Who pointed us to Thine.
But O! suffice the season past:
We now our folly mourn,
And choose the better part at last,
And to our Saviour turn.
We now our folly mourn,
And choose the better part at last,
And to our Saviour turn.
Our sinful state we partly see,
But long to see it more,
With broken hearts to mourn for Thee,
And tremble at Thy power.
But long to see it more,
With broken hearts to mourn for Thee,
And tremble at Thy power.
Fain would we love the God we fear,
The Lord of earth and heaven;
And feel the grace of which we hear,
And know our sins forgiven.
The Lord of earth and heaven;
And feel the grace of which we hear,
And know our sins forgiven.
Our sins though great and numberless,
We now at last believe,
O Son of man, O Prince of Peace,
Thou canst on earth forgive.
We now at last believe,
O Son of man, O Prince of Peace,
Thou canst on earth forgive.
Come then, the saving grace impart,
Remove the mountain load,
Inspeak Thy peace into our heart
Which pants to feel Thy blood.
Remove the mountain load,
Inspeak Thy peace into our heart
Which pants to feel Thy blood.
Thy Spirit let us now receive,
And Abba Father, cry,
And happy in Thy service live,
And in Thy service die.
And Abba Father, cry,
And happy in Thy service live,
And in Thy service die.
| The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |