 | The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
HYMN I.
[Where have I been so long]
Where have I been so long
Fast bound in sin and night,
Mix'd with the blind self-righteous throng
Who hate the sons of light?
Fast bound in sin and night,
Mix'd with the blind self-righteous throng
Who hate the sons of light?
O how shall I presume,
Jesus, to call on Thee?
Sunk in the lowest dregs of Rome,
The worst idolatry!
Jesus, to call on Thee?
Sunk in the lowest dregs of Rome,
The worst idolatry!
A stranger to Thy grace
Long have I labour'd, Lord,
To stablish my own righteousness,
And been what I abhorr'd.
Long have I labour'd, Lord,
To stablish my own righteousness,
And been what I abhorr'd.
Foe to the Popish boast
No merit was in me!
Yet in my works I put my trust,
And not alone in Thee.
No merit was in me!
Yet in my works I put my trust,
And not alone in Thee.
2
For works that I had wrought
I look'd to be forgiven,
And by my virtuous tempers thought
At last to purchase heaven.
I look'd to be forgiven,
And by my virtuous tempers thought
At last to purchase heaven.
Or if I needed still
The help of grace Divine,
Thy merits should come in to fill
The small defects of mine.
The help of grace Divine,
Thy merits should come in to fill
The small defects of mine.
Alas! I knew not then
Thou only didst atone
For all the sinful sons of men,
And purge our guilt alone;
Thou only didst atone
For all the sinful sons of men,
And purge our guilt alone;
Didst shed Thy blood to pay
The all-sufficient price,
And take the world's offence away
By Thy great sacrifice.
The all-sufficient price,
And take the world's offence away
By Thy great sacrifice.
But O! my dying God,
By Thee convinced at last,
My soul on that atoning blood,
On that alone I cast.
By Thee convinced at last,
My soul on that atoning blood,
On that alone I cast.
I dare no longer trust
On aught I do, or feel,
But own, while humbled in the dust,
My whole desert is hell.
On aught I do, or feel,
But own, while humbled in the dust,
My whole desert is hell.
My works of righteousness
I cast them all away;
My Lord, Thou frankly must release,
For I have nought to pay.
I cast them all away;
My Lord, Thou frankly must release,
For I have nought to pay.
Not one good word or thought
I to Thy merits join,
But gladly take the gift unbought
Of righteousness Divine.
I to Thy merits join,
But gladly take the gift unbought
Of righteousness Divine.
3
My faith is all in Thee,
My only hope Thou art,
The pardon Thou hast bought for me,
Engrave it on my heart.
My only hope Thou art,
The pardon Thou hast bought for me,
Engrave it on my heart.
The blood by faith applied
O let it now take place,
And speak me freely justified,
And fully saved by grace.
O let it now take place,
And speak me freely justified,
And fully saved by grace.
| The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |