The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

All-good, Almighty God,
How can Thy creature be
So long oppress'd beneath his load
Who groans for help to Thee?
My soul how canst Thou leave
To struggle with its chain,
To strive against my sin, and grieve,
And grieve and strive in vain?

Surely the hindrance lies
In me, in me alone;
Thee only just, and true, and wise,
And merciful I own:

433

Why then dost Thou delay
The hindrance to remove,
And kindly force my stubborn clay
To take the stamp of love?

Dost Thou, to break my pride,
Refuse to heal my wound,
And let me still in sin abide,
That grace may more abound?
Ah no! Thy purity
My sin would never choose,
Thou canst not, Lord, to humble me,
The help of Satan use.

Dost Thou refuse to hear
The object of Thy hate,
The vessel of Thy wrath severe,
The hopeless reprobate?
Why then am I withheld
From blasphemous despair?
Why am I thus again compell'd
To plead with Thee in prayer?

Righteous in all Thy ways,
Dost Thou Thy grace restrain,
To' avenge the quarrel of Thy grace,
By me received in vain?
But at my greatest need
Have I no friend above,
No advocate my cause to plead
Before the throne of love?

My Saviour prays for me,
Yet no relief I feel,
Fast bound in sin and misery,
Unsaved, unhappy still

434

Who shall the cause declare,
The secret bar reveal?
Past finding out Thy judgments are,
Thy ways unsearchable.

Here then I lay me down
In darkness, grief, and shame;
A sinner, O Thou God unknown,
But in Thy hands I am:
My sole Disposer Thou,
And what Thou dost with me,
And what my end, I know not now,
But leave it all to Thee.

University of Virginia Library

LXXXIII. THE SAME.

Hymn 33.

[All-good, Almighty God]