The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Prisoners of hope, lift up your heads;
The day of liberty draws near;
Jesus, who on the serpent treads,
Shall soon in your behalf appear:
The Lord shall to His temple come;
Prepare your hearts to make Him room.

We all shall find, (whom in His word
Himself hath caused to put our trust,)
The Father of our dying Lord
Is ever to His promise just;
Faithful, if we our sins confess,
To cleanse from all unrighteousness.

Lord, we confess our sins to Thee;
In sin we were conceived and born:
Plunged in the depth of misery,
We never can to Thee return,
Till Thou our fallen souls convert,
And give the new, believing heart.

Now, if Thou canst, withhold the grace
From sinners hungry, mournful, poor,
Who ask Thy love, who seek Thy face,
Who ever knock at mercy's door,

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At Jesu's feet who humbly lie,
Resolved at Jesu's feet to die.

Yes, Lord, we must believe Thee kind,
Thou never canst unfaithful prove;
Surely we shall Thy mercy find;
Who ask, shall all receive Thy love;
Nor canst Thou it to me deny;
I ask, the chief of sinners, I!

'Tis done; my prayer hath pierced the skies,
Hath reach'd my gracious Father's ear;
He hears, He answers to my cries;
My God shall in my heart appear;
He hath to me a token given—
This inward peace, this taste of heaven.

Wherefore of Him I make my boast,
I triumph in His truth and grace,
I in His faithful mercies trust,
I shall with joy behold His face,
I shall be soon His fix'd abode—
A temple of the living God.

O ye of fearful hearts, be strong!
Your downcast hands and eyes lift up!
Ye shall not be forgotten long;
Hope to the end, in Jesus hope!
Tell Him ye wait His grace to prove,
And cannot fail, if God is love!

Prisoners of hope, be strong, be bold;
Cast off your doubts, disdain to fear!
Dare to believe; on Christ lay hold!
Wrestle with Christ in mighty prayer;
Tell Him, We will not let Thee go
Till we Thy name, Thy nature know.

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Hast Thou not died to purge our sin,
And rose, Thy death for us to plead;
To write Thy law of love within
Our hearts, and make us free indeed?
That we our Eden might regain,
Thou diedst, and couldst not die in vain.

Lord, we believe, and wait the hour
Which all Thy great salvation brings;
The Spirit of love, and health, and power
Shall come, and make us priests and kings;
Thou wilt perform Thy faithful word,—
The servant shall be as his Lord.

The promise stands for ever sure,
And we shall in Thine image shine,
Partakers of a nature pure,
Holy, angelical, Divine;
In Spirit joined to Thee the Son,
As Thou art with Thy Father one.

Faithful and True, we now receive
The promise ratified by Thee:
To Thee the when and how we leave,
In time and in eternity;
We only hang upon Thy word,—
The servant shall be as his Lord.

University of Virginia Library

THE WORD OF OUR GOD SHALL STAND FOR EVER.

[Isaiah xl. 8.]