The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Ye worms of earth, arise,
Ye creatures of a day,
Redeem the time, be bold, be wise,
And cast your bonds away;
Shake off the chains of sin,
Like us assembled here,
With hymns of praise to usher in
The acceptable year.

The year of gospel-grace
Like us rejoice to see,
And thankfully in Christ embrace
Your proffer'd liberty.
Pardon and peace are nigh,
Which every soul may prove;
The Lord, who now is passing by,
Makes this the time of love.

Saviour and Lord of all,
Thy proffer we receive,
Obedient to Thy gospel-call,
That bids us turn and live;
Our former years mis-spent,
Though late, we deeply mourn,
And soften'd by Thy grace, repent,
And to Thy arms return.
With fear, and grief, and shame,
Our folly we bemoan;
But wonder at the patient Lamb,
Who lets us still alone:
Thy patience lifts us up,
Thy free unbounded grace,
And all our fear is lost in hope,
And all our grief in praise.

To Thee, by whom we live,
Our praise and lives we pay,
Praise, ardent, cordial, constant give,
And shout to see the day:
The day of saving grace,
Thy consecrated year,
When the bright Sun of Righteousness
Doth to our world appear.

Risen, we know, Thou art,
With healing in Thy wings,
We feel, we feel it in our heart
The life Thy presence brings!
The seal and earnest this,
Our pardon we receive,
And look with Thee in glorious bliss
Eternally to live.

University of Virginia Library

HYMN II.

[Ye worms of earth, arise]