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 | The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
AFTER THE DEATH OF A FRIEND.
PART I.
O happy soul, thy work is done,
Thy fight is fought, thy course is run,
And thou art now at rest:
Thou here wast perfected in love,
Thou now art join'd to those above,
And number'd with the blest.
Thy fight is fought, thy course is run,
And thou art now at rest:
Thou here wast perfected in love,
Thou now art join'd to those above,
And number'd with the blest.
Thy sun no more goes down by night,
Thy moon no more withdraws its light;
Those blessed mansions shine
Bright with an Uncreated Flame,
Full of the glories of the Lamb,
The' eternal light Divine.
Thy moon no more withdraws its light;
Those blessed mansions shine
Bright with an Uncreated Flame,
Full of the glories of the Lamb,
The' eternal light Divine.
157
Our state if parted spirits know,
Thou pitiest now thy friends below
In this dark vale of tears,
Who still beneath our burden groan,
Or, grieved with sorrows not our own,
Are living out our years.
Thou pitiest now thy friends below
In this dark vale of tears,
Who still beneath our burden groan,
Or, grieved with sorrows not our own,
Are living out our years.
Secure of the celestial prize,
Thou waitest now in paradise
Till we are all convey'd
By angels to our endless rest,
Of thine and Jesu's joy possest,
In Jesu's bosom laid.
Thou waitest now in paradise
Till we are all convey'd
By angels to our endless rest,
Of thine and Jesu's joy possest,
In Jesu's bosom laid.
O when shall I be taken home!
O that my latest change were come,
For which I wait in pain!
Weary of life through inbred sin!
Speak, Jesu, speak the sinner clean,
Nor let my faith be vain.
O that my latest change were come,
For which I wait in pain!
Weary of life through inbred sin!
Speak, Jesu, speak the sinner clean,
Nor let my faith be vain.
O bid me live in Thee and die:
Why, Saviour, let me ask Thee, why
Dost Thou so long delay?
A blessing hast Thou not for me?
O bid me live and die in Thee;
My Jesus, come away.
Why, Saviour, let me ask Thee, why
Dost Thou so long delay?
A blessing hast Thou not for me?
O bid me live and die in Thee;
My Jesus, come away.
Another and another goes
Through the dark vale to his repose,
And glad resigns his breath;
But I alas! must still remain,
I cannot break my fleshly chain,
Or overtake my death.
Through the dark vale to his repose,
And glad resigns his breath;
But I alas! must still remain,
I cannot break my fleshly chain,
Or overtake my death.
158
I live and suffer all my care,
The bondage of corruption bear,
And groan beneath my load;
Struggles my spirit to get free,
And pants for immortality,
And reaches after God.
The bondage of corruption bear,
And groan beneath my load;
Struggles my spirit to get free,
And pants for immortality,
And reaches after God.
But O! my strivings all are vain,
Inevitable is my pain,
Incurable my wound,
Till Jesus ends my inward strife,
And speaks me into second life,
And I in Christ am found.
Inevitable is my pain,
Incurable my wound,
Till Jesus ends my inward strife,
And speaks me into second life,
And I in Christ am found.
See then, I all at last resign,
Thy will, O Lord, be done, not mine,
I give my murmurings o'er:
Do with me now as seems Thee meet,
But let me suffer at Thy feet,
And teach my God no more.
Thy will, O Lord, be done, not mine,
I give my murmurings o'er:
Do with me now as seems Thee meet,
But let me suffer at Thy feet,
And teach my God no more.
PART II.
O death, thou art on every side,
Thy thousand gates stand open wide,
The weary to receive:
Yet I can find no rest for me,
I suffer all my misery,
And still alas I live!
Thy thousand gates stand open wide,
The weary to receive:
Yet I can find no rest for me,
I suffer all my misery,
And still alas I live!
Still my imprison'd spirit waits;
In vain for me thy thousand gates
Stand open day and night,
And other souls their exit make,
On every moment's wings they take
Their everlasting flight.
In vain for me thy thousand gates
Stand open day and night,
And other souls their exit make,
On every moment's wings they take
Their everlasting flight.
159
Envious I hear the passing bell
With sweetly-melancholy knell
Their happy change declare:
But I can see no end of strife,
The' intolerable load of life
I still am forced to bear.
With sweetly-melancholy knell
Their happy change declare:
But I can see no end of strife,
The' intolerable load of life
I still am forced to bear.
Weary of life, in pain I breathe;
With blind desire I covet death,
But cannot find it nigh;
Unsaved and unredeem'd from sin,
Unchanged, unholy, and unclean,
Yet still I long to die.
With blind desire I covet death,
But cannot find it nigh;
Unsaved and unredeem'd from sin,
Unchanged, unholy, and unclean,
Yet still I long to die.
Wretch that I am, while unrenew'd
Can I appear, O righteous God,
A sinner in Thy sight?
Nay, but I trust Thy blood shall cleanse
My soul, before Thou take it hence,
And wash my garments white.
Can I appear, O righteous God,
A sinner in Thy sight?
Nay, but I trust Thy blood shall cleanse
My soul, before Thou take it hence,
And wash my garments white.
When Thou hast spoke my nature clean,
When I have Thy salvation seen,
O Lord my righteousness,
And clasp'd Thee in my loving heart,
Pronounce the welcome word, Depart!
And let me die in peace.
When I have Thy salvation seen,
O Lord my righteousness,
And clasp'd Thee in my loving heart,
Pronounce the welcome word, Depart!
And let me die in peace.
PART III.
A wretched slave of sin, to Thee,
Thou sinner's Friend, I ever cry,
Pity, and end my misery,
Forgive, renew, and let me die.
Thou sinner's Friend, I ever cry,
Pity, and end my misery,
Forgive, renew, and let me die.
160
Ah! let it not my Lord displease
That I to Thee my wishes breathe;
Hear, Jesus, hear; my soul release,
And let me find an early death.
That I to Thee my wishes breathe;
Hear, Jesus, hear; my soul release,
And let me find an early death.
I groan to be redeem'd from sin;
When shall the dear deliverance come?
Open Thine arms, and take me in,
Receive Thy pardon'd exile home.
When shall the dear deliverance come?
Open Thine arms, and take me in,
Receive Thy pardon'd exile home.
Alas for me! constrain'd to dwell
Among the horrid sons of night.
Snatch from this neighbourhood of hell,
Translate me to the realms of light.
Among the horrid sons of night.
Snatch from this neighbourhood of hell,
Translate me to the realms of light.
Eager I urge my sole request;
Wilt Thou not, Lord, therewith comply?
Take me into Thy people's rest,
And bid me get me up, and die.
Wilt Thou not, Lord, therewith comply?
Take me into Thy people's rest,
And bid me get me up, and die.
Impatient for my change I wait,
For death I sigh, for death I mourn;
Whom Thou hast made, again create,
And let my spirit to God return.
For death I sigh, for death I mourn;
Whom Thou hast made, again create,
And let my spirit to God return.
This vale of tears and misery,
This earth, I know, is not my place:
O that I were dissolved in Thee,
O that I might behold Thy face!
This earth, I know, is not my place:
O that I were dissolved in Thee,
O that I might behold Thy face!
My life to Thee I fain would give,
And be where Thou my Saviour art;
Better it is to die than live;
O speak, and bid my soul depart.
And be where Thou my Saviour art;
Better it is to die than live;
O speak, and bid my soul depart.
161
Receive my soul, which gasps for death,
My soul redeem'd by Thy own blood,
And let me now resign my breath,
And sink into the arms of God!
My soul redeem'd by Thy own blood,
And let me now resign my breath,
And sink into the arms of God!
| The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |