The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Sick of sin, to Thee I cried,
Thee, my loving Lord and God!
Thou the medicine hast applied,
Heal'd me by Thy balmy blood.
Thou, omnipotent to save,
Hast redeem'd my soul from death,
Snatch'd it from the' infernal grave,
Kept it from the gulf beneath.

Sing, ye saints, unto the Lord,
Thank the Lord our Righteousness;
All His faithfulness record,
All His power and pardoning grace:
Quickly is His anger past,
Never doth His grace remove;
Long as life His love shall last,
Life eternal is His love.

If He seem awhile to chide,
Leave us a whole night to mourn,
Yet the veil is cast aside,
Yet He hastens to return.
Sure as the return of day
Chases all the shades of night,
Sorrow doth to joy give way,
Darkness to the gospel light.

“Never more shall I remove,”
In my prosperous state, I said,
“Thou the mountain of Thy love
Hast so strong a barrier made.”

Thou didst hide Thy blissful face;
Grieved to find my God depart,
Then I felt my want of grace,
Then I saw my feeble heart.

Yet again to Thee, O Lord,
Humbled in the dust I cried,
Self-condemn'd and self-abhorr'd,
Bruised and chasten'd for my pride:
“What the profit of my blood,
When I sink into the grave?
There I cannot praise my God,
Cannot show Thy power to save.

“Thee the dead cannot declare,
True and faithful to Thy word:
Hear me now, in mercy spare,
Now Thy ready help afford.”
Surely Thou hast heard, and turn'd
Into joy my heaviness,
Comforted a soul that mourn'd,
Clothed me with the robes of praise.

Thou hast girded me with joy,
That I might my Lord proclaim,
All my days in thanks employ,
Sing, and bless Thy glorious name:
Surely this my task shall be
Till I join the hosts above,
Plunged into the Deity,
Lost in all the depths of love!

University of Virginia Library

PSALM XXX.

[Lord, I will exalt Thy grace]