The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

O my offended God,
If now at last I see
That I have trampled on Thy blood,
And done despite to Thee,
If I begin to wake
Out of my deadly sleep,
Into Thy arms of mercy take,
And there for ever keep.

I can no more rely
On gifts and graces past;
Lost, and undone, and damn'd am I,
I give up all at last:
With guilty shame I drop
My bold presumptuous plea;
Mercy itself may give me up,
The vile apostate me.

I can no longer trust
In my abuse of grace,
I own Thee merciful and just
If banish'd from Thy face;
Though once I surely knew
And felt my sins forgiven,
Faithful I own Thee, Lord, and true,
If now shut out from heaven.

Through faith in Jesu's name
I once was justified;
Yet hence no benefit I claim,
I lost it all by pride:
More desperate is my state,
Farther I am from God,
Than any hopeless reprobate
Who never felt Thy blood.

Nothing have I to plead;
Lord, at Thy feet I fall,
Pour all Thy judgments on my head,
I have deserved them all:
Justice my life demands;
Thou art unchangeable,
Thy covenant unshaken stands,
Though I am doom'd to hell.

Nothing for me remains
But horror and despair,
A fearful looking for of pains
Too exquisite to bear,
Judgment and fiery wrath;
For I have wilfully
(Since I received Thy saving faith)
Apostatized from Thee.

Enlighten'd once I was,
And saw my sins forgiven,
And tasted of Thy pardoning grace,
The happiness of heaven:
I tasted the good word,
And, sanctified in part,
Received the promise of my Lord,
The Spirit, into my heart.

Now I am fall'n away:
And Thou may'st let me fall,
Till ended is my gracious day
And I am stript of all;
Till I am void of God,
Till all the strife is o'er,
And I can never be renew'd,
Can never see Thee more.

But O, forbid it, Lord!
Nor drive me from Thy face,
While, self-condemn'd and self-abhorr'd,
I humbly sue for grace:
For Thy own mercy's sake
My guilty soul release,
And now my pardon give me back,
And give me back my peace.

No other right have I
Than what the world may claim;
All, all, may to their God draw nigh,
Through faith in Jesu's name;
Thou all the debt hast paid,
This is my only plea,
The covenant God in Thee hath made
With all mankind and me.

Thou hast obtain'd the grace
That all may turn and live;
And lo! Thy offer I embrace,
Thy mercy I receive.
Whene'er the wicked man
Turns from his sin to Thee,
His late repentance is not vain,
He shall accepted be.

Thy death hath bought the power
For every sinful soul,
That all might know their gracious hour,
And be by faith made whole;
Thou hast for sinners died,
That all might come to God;
The covenant Thou hast ratified,
And seal'd it with Thy blood.

He that believes in Thee,
And doth to death endure,
He shall be saved eternally,
The covenant is sure;
The mountains shall give place,
Thy covenant cannot move,
The covenant of Thy general grace,
Thy all-redeeming love.

He that in Thee believes,
And to the end remains,
He everlasting life receives,
For so Thy will ordains;
This is the firm decree,
The word of Thy command,
Fast as the sun and moon, with Thee
It doth for ever stand.

God of all-pardoning grace,
The covenant now I plead,
The covenant made with all our race
In Jesus Christ our Head:
Canst Thou the grace deny,
The pardon which I claim?
O why did the Redeemer die?
I ask in Jesu's name.

Hast Thou not sent us forth
His prisoners from the pit?
And do I not to Jesu's worth
And righteousness submit?
Father, behold Thy Son,
As in my place He stood,
And hear His dying word, “'Tis done,”
And hear His speaking blood.

It speaks me justified,
My Father must forgive:
He doth; I feel it now applied,
My pardon I receive;
My peace He gives me back,
My antepast of heaven,
And God again for Jesu's sake
Hath me, even me, forgiven.

University of Virginia Library

HYMN V.

[O my offended God]