The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Free from that partial, blind respect,
Which marks the favourite of a sect,
Implicitly resign'd,
With others' eyes she scorn'd to see,
And stretch'd her arms of charity,
Engrasping all mankind.

In love and every grace she grew,
As nearer her departure drew;
The active, restless soul
From strength to greater strength went on,
Swifter and swifter still she run,
To reach the heavenly goal.

274

She lived a burning shining light,
With never-fading lustre bright,
With never-cooling love:
Meet for the infinite reward,
Expecting to receive her Lord
And Bridegroom from above.

He came, and warn'd her to depart;
He knock'd at her attentive heart,
And fitted for the sky;
She open'd to her welcome Guest,
With eager instantaneous haste
She gat her up, to die.

To die, her only business then,
The meed of all her toils to gain,
Made ready long before,
She flies to lay her body down,
And pain, and sin, and grief are gone,
And suffering is no more.

“Nothing,” she cries, “can shake my peace,
My body, or my soul, distress,
Or tempt me once to fear;
My full salvation is wrought out,
I cannot mourn, I cannot doubt,
For Christ and heaven is here.

Not in my helpless self I trust,
But on my faithful Lord and just,
In life and death depend;
Secure of everlasting bliss,
Into those gracious hands of His
My spirit I commend.”

She speaks, and bows her willing head;
She sinks among the' immortal dead,
Without a lingering groan;

275

Meek, as the Lamb of God, departs,
And carries up our bleeding hearts
To that eternal throne.

University of Virginia Library

HYMN XXXIV.

PART V.

[Free from that partial, blind respect]