Hymns

Where shall my wondering soul begin?
How shall I all to heaven aspire?
A slave redeemed from death and sin,
A brand plucked from eternal fire,
How shall I equal triumphs raise,
Or sing my great Deliverer’s praise?

O how shall I the goodness tell,
Father, which Thou to me hast showed?
That I, a child of wrath and hell,
I should be called a child of God,
Should know, should feel my sins forgiven,
Blessed with this antepast of Heaven!

And shall I slight my Father’s love?
Or basely fear His gifts to own?
Unmindful of His favors prove?
Shall I, the hallowed cross to shun,
Refuse His righteousness to impart,
By hiding it within my heart?

No! though the ancient dragon rage,
And call forth all his host to war,
Though earth’s self-righteous sons engage
Them and their god alike I dare;
Jesus, the sinner’s friend, proclaim;
Jesus, to sinners still the same.

Outcasts of men, to you I call,
Harlots, and publicans, and thieves!
He spreads His arms to embrace you all;
Sinners alone His grace receives;
No need of Him the righteous have;
He came the lost to seek and save.

Come, O my guilty brethren, come,
Groaning beneath your load of sin,
His bleeding heart shall make you room,
His open side shall take you in;
He calls you now, invites you home;
Come, O my guilty brethren, come!

For you the purple current flowed
In pardons from His wounded side,
Languished for you the eternal God,
For you the Prince of glory died:
Believe, and all your sin’s forgiven;
Only believe, and yours is Heaven!

Charles Wes­ley

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O come and dwell in me,
Spirit of power within,
And bring the glorious liberty
From sorrow, fear, and sin.

Hasten the joyful day
Which shall my sins consume,
When old things shall be done away,
And all things new become.

I want the witness, Lord,
That all I do is right,
According to Thy mind and Word,
Well pleasing in Thy sight.

I ask no higher state;
Indulge me but in this,
And soon or later then translate
To my eternal bliss.

Charles Wes­ley
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Jesus, Thou soul of all our joys,
For Whom we now lift up our voice,
And all our strength exert;
Vouchsafe the grace we humbly claim,
Compose into a thankful frame,
And tune Thy people’s heart.

While in the heavenly work we join,
Thy glory be our whole design,
Thy glory, not our own:
Still let us keep our end in view,
And still the pleasing task pursue,
To please our God alone.

The secret pride, the subtle sin,
O let it never more steal in,
To offend Thy glorious eyes,
To desecrate our hallowed strain,
And make our solemn service vain,
And mar our sacrifice!

To magnify Thy awful Name,
To spread the honors of the Lamb,
Let us our voices raise;
Our souls’ and bodies’ powers unite,
Regardless of our own delight,
And dead to human praise.

Still let us on our guard be found,
And watch against the power of sound
With sacred jealousy;
Lest haply sense should damp our zeal,
And music’s charms bewitch and steal
Our hearts away from Thee.

That hurrying strife far oft remove,
That noisy burst of selfish love,
Which swells the formal song;
The joy from out our hearts arise,
And speak and sparkle in our eyes,
And vibrate on our tongue.

Thee let us praise, our common Lord,
And sweetly join with one accord
Thy goodness to proclaim:
Jesus, Thyself in us reveal,
And all our faculties shall feel
Thy harmonizing Name.

With calmly reverential joy,
O let us all our lives employ
In setting forth Thy love;
And raise in death our triumph higher,
And sing with all the heavenly choir,
That endless song above!

Charles Wes­ley
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Holy Lamb, who Thee receive,
Who in Thee begin to live,
Day and night they cry to Thee,
As Thou art, so let us be!
Jesu, see my panting breast!
See I pant in Thee to rest!
Gladly would I now be clean,
Cleanse me now from every sin.

Fix, O fix my wavering mind!
To Thy cross my spirit bind;
Earthly passions far remove,
Swallow up my soul in love.
Dust and ashes though we be,
Full of sin and misery,
Thine we are, Thou Son of God!
Take the purchase of Thy blood!

Who in heart on Thee believes,
He the atonement now receives,
He with joy beholds Thy face,
Triumphs in Thy pardoning grace.
See, ye sinners, see the flame,
Rising from the slaughtered Lamb,
Marks the new, the living way,
Leading to eternal day!

Jesus, when this light we see,
All our soul’s athirst for Thee;
When Thy quickening power we prove,
All our heart dissolves in love.
Boundless wisdom, power divine,
Love unspeakable are Thine:
Praise by all to Thee be giv’n,
Sons of earth, and hosts of Heav’n!

An­na S. Do­ber
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Gracious Spirit, dwell with me!
I myself would gracious be;
And with words that help and heal
Would Thy life in mine reveal;
And with actions bold and meek
Would for Christ my Savior speak.

Truthful Spirit, dwell with me!
I myself would truthful be;
And with wisdom kind and clear
Let Thy life in mine appear;
And with actions brotherly
Speak my Lord’s sincerity.

Tender Spirit, dwell with me!
I myself would tender be;
Shut my heart up like a flower
In temptation’s darksome hour,
Open it when shines the sun,
And his love by fragrance own.

Mighty Spirit, dwell with me!
I myself would mighty be;
Mighty so as to prevail,
Where unaided man must fail;
Ever, by a mighty hope,
Pressing on and bearing up.

Holy Spirit, dwell with me!
I myself would holy be;
Separate from sin, I would
Choose and cherish all things good,
And whatever I can be
Give to Him Who gave me Thee!

Thom­as T. Lynch
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Purer yet and purer, I would be in mind,
Dearer yet and dearer, every duty find;
Hoping still, and trusting God without a fear,
Patiently believing He will make all clear.

Calmer yet and calmer, in the hour of pain,
Surer yet and surer, peace at last to gain;
Suffering still and doing, to His will resigned,
And to joy subduing heart and will and mind.

Higher yet and higher, out of clouds and sight,
Nearer yet and nearer, rising to the Light;
Light serene and holy, where my soul may rest,
Purified and holy, sanctified and blessed.

Swifter yet and swifter, ever onward run,
Firmer yet and firmer, step as I go on;
Oft these earnest longings swell within my breast,
Yet their inner meaning ne’er can be expressed

Jo­hann Wolf­gang von Goe­the
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Glory to Thee, O Lord,
Who, from this world of sin,
By cruel Herod’s ruthless sword
Those precious ones didst win.

Baptized in their own blood,
Earth’s untried perils o’er,
They passed unconsciously the flood,
And safely gained the shore.

Glory to Thee for all
The ransomed infant band,
Who, since that hour have heard Thy call,
And reached the quiet land.

O that our hearts within,
Like theirs, were pure and bright,
O that as free from stain of sin
We shrank not from Thy sight.

Lord, help us every hour
Thy cleansing grace to claim;
In life to glorify Thy power,
In death to praise Thy Name.

Em­ma L. Toke

Thou Son of God, Whose flaming eyes
Our inmost thoughts perceive,
Accept the grateful sacrifice
Which now to Thee we give.

We bow before Thy gracious throne,
And think ourselves sincere;
But show us, Lord, is everyone
Thy real worshiper?

Is here a soul who knows Thee not,
Nor feels his need of Thee;
A stranger to the blood which bought
His pardon on the tree?

Convince him now of unbelief,
His desperate state explain;
And his fill his heart with sacred grief,
And penitential pain.

Speak with that voice that wakes the dead,
And bid the sleeper rise,
And bid his guilty conscience dread
The death that never dies.

Extort the cry, “What must be done
To save a wretch like me?
How shall a trembling sinner shun
That endless misery?

“I must this instant now begin,
Out of my sleep to wake,
And turn to God, and every sin
Continually forsake.

“I must for faith incessant cry,
And wrestle, Lord, with Thee;
I must be born again, or die
To all eternity.”

charles wesley

Afflicted saint, to Christ draw near—
Thy Savior’s gracious promise hear,
His faithful Word declares to thee,
That as thy days thy strength shall be.

Let not thy heart despond and say
“How shall I stand the trying day?”
He has engaged by firm decree,
That as thy days thy strength shall be.

Thy faith is weak, thy foes are strong,
And if the conflict should be long,
The Lord will make the tempter flee,
For as thy days thy strength shall be.

Should persecution rage and flame,
Still trust in thy Redeemer’s Name;
In fiery trials thou shalt see,
That as thy days thy strength shall be.

When called to bear thy weighty cross,
Or sore affliction, pain, or loss,
Or deep distress or poverty,
Still as thy days thy strength shall be.

John Faw­cett

Forever here my rest shall be,
Close to Thy bleeding side;
This all my hope, and all my plea,
For me the Savior died!

My dying Savior, and my God,
Fountain for guilt and sin,
Sprinkle me ever in Thy blood,
And cleanse, and keep me clean.

Wash me, and make me thus Thine own,
Wash me, and mine Thou art,
Wash me, but not my feet alone,
My hands, my head, my heart.

The atonement of Thy blood apply,
Till faith to sight improve,
Till hope shall in fruition die,
And all my soul be love.

I do believe, I now believe,
That Jesus died for me;
And through His blood, His precious blood,
I shall from sin be free.

charles wesley

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/n/awilljud.htm

And will the Judge descend,
And must the dead arise
And not a single soul escape
His all discerning eyes?

And from His righteous lips
Shall this dread sentence sound
And through the numerous guilty throng
Spread black despair around:

“Depart from Me, accursed,
To everlasting flame,
For rebel angels first prepared,
Where mercy never came”?

How will my heart endure
The terrors of that day
When earth and Heav’n before His face
Astonished shrink away?

But ere that trumpet shakes
The mansions of the dead,
Hark from the Gospel’s cheering sound
What joyful tidings spread:

Ye sinners, seek His grace
Whose wrath ye cannot bear;
Fly to the shelter of His cross
And find salvation there.

Phil­ip Dod­dridge

And must I be to judgment brought,
And answer in that day,
For every vain and idle thought,
And every word I say?

Yes, every secret of my heart,
Shall shortly be made known,
And I receive my just desert
For all that I have done.

How careful, then ought I to live,
With what religious fear!
Who such a strict account must give
For my behavior here.

Thou awful Judge of quick and dead,
The watchful power bestow;
So shall I to my ways take heed,
To all I speak or do.

If now Thou standest at the door,
O let me feel Thee near,
And make my peace with God, before
I at Thy bar appear.

Charles Wes­ley, Hymns for Child­ren, 1763.

Day of wrath, O day of mourning!
See fulfilled the prophet’s warning,
Heaven and earth in ashes burning.
Oh, what fear man’s bosom rendeth
When from Heav’n the Judge descendeth
On Whose sentence all dependeth!

Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth,
Through earth’s sepulchers it ringeth,
All before the throne it bringeth.
Death is struck and nature quaking;
All creation is awaking,
To its Judge an answer making.

Lo, the book, exactly worded,
Wherein all hath been recorded;
Thence shall judgment be awarded.
When the Judge His seat attaineth
And each hidden deed arraigneth,
Nothing unavenged remaineth.

What shall I, frail man, be pleading?
Who for me be interceding
When the just are mercy needing?
King of majesty tremendous,
Who dost free salvation send us,
Fount of pity, then befriend us.

Think, good Jesus, my salvation
Caused Thy wondrous incarnation;
Leave me not to reprobation!
Faint and weary Thou hast sought me,
On the cross of suffering bought me;
Shall such grace be vainly brought me?

Righteous Judge, for sin’s pollution
Grant Thy gift of absolution
Ere that day of retribution!
Guilty, now I pour my moaning,
All my shame with anguish owning:
Spare, O God, Thy suppliant groaning!

From that sinful woman shriven,
From the dying thief forgiven,
Thou to me a hope hast given.
Worthless are my prayers and sighing;
Yet, good Lord, in grace complying,
Rescue me from fires undying.

With Thy favored sheep, oh, place me!
Nor among the goats abase me,
But to Thy right hand upraise me.
While the wicked are confounded,
Doomed to flames of woe unbounded,
Call me, with Thy saints surrounded.

Low I kneel with heart submission,
See, like ashes, my contrition;
Help me in my last condition!
Day of sorrow, day of weeping,
When, in dust no longer sleeping,
Man awakes in Thy dread keeping!

This additional verse may be used with tunes of a different meter:

To the rest Thou didst prepare me
On Thy cross; O Christ, upbear me!
Spare, O God, in mercy spare me!

Thomas of Ce­la­no

Ye waiting souls, arise,
With all the dead, awake!
Unto salvation wise,
Oil in your vessels take;
Upstarting at the midnight cry,
“Behold, the heavenly Bridegroom nigh!”

He comes, He comes to call
The nations to His bar,
And take to glory all
Who meet for glory are;
Made ready for your full reward,
Go forth with joy to meet your Lord.

Go, meet Him in the sky,
Your everlasting Friend;
Your Head to glorify,
With all His saints ascend;
Ye pure in heart, obtain the grace
To see, without a veil, His face.

The everlasting doors
Shall soon the saints receive,
With seraphs, thrones, and powers,
In glorious joy to live;
Far from a world of grief and sin,
With God eternally shut in.

Then let us wait to hear
The trumpet’s welcome sound;
To see our Lord appear,
May we be watching found;
And when Thou dost the heavens bow,
Be found—as, Lord, Thou find’st us now.

charles wesley

O love divine, how sweet thou art!
When shall I find my willing heart
All taken up by thee?
I thirst, I faint, I die to prove
The greatness of redeeming love,
The love of Christ to me.

Stronger His love than death or hell;
Its reaches are unsearchable;
The first born sons of light
Desire in vain its depths to see;
They cannot reach the mystery
The length, and breadth, and height.

God only knows the love of God;
O that it now were shed abroad
In this poor stony heart!
For love I sigh, for love I pine;
This only portion, Lord, be mine,
Be mine this better part.

O that I could forever sit
With Mary at the Master’s feet;
Be this my happy choice;
My only care, delight, and bliss,
My joy, my heaven on earth, be this
To hear the Bridegroom’s voice.

O that, with humbled Peter, I
Could weep, believe, and thrice reply,
My faithfulness to prove.
Thou know’st, (for all to Thee is known,
Thou know’st, O Lord, and Thou alone,
Thou know’st that Thee I love.

O that I could, with favored John,
Recline my weary head upon
The dear Redeemer’s breast!
From care, and sin, and sorrow free,
Give me, O Lord, to find in Thee
My everlasting rest.

Thy only love do I require,
Nothing on earth beneath desire,
Nothing in heaven above;
Let earth, and heaven, and all things go,
Give me Thy only love to know,
Give me only Thy love.

Charles Wesley

O Christ, our Hope, our heart’s Desire,
Redemption’s only Spring!
Creator of the world art Thou,
Its Savior and its King.

How vast the mercy and the love
Which laid our sins on Thee,
And led Thee to a cruel death,
To set Thy people free.

But now the bands of death are burst,
The ransom has been paid,
And Thou art on Thy Father’s throne,
In glorious robes arrayed.

O may Thy mighty love prevail
Our sinful souls to spare;
O may we come before Thy throne,
And find acceptance there!

O Christ, be Thou our lasting Joy,
Our ever great Reward!
Our only glory may be it be
To glory in the Lord.

All praise to Thee, ascended Lord;
All glory ever be
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Through all eternity.

Un­known au­thor, 7th or 8th

Christ, the Life of all the living,
Christ the Death of death, our foe,
Who Thyself for us once giving
To the darkest depths of woe,
Patiently didst yield Thy breath
But to save my soul from death;
Praise and glory ever be,
Blessèd Jesus, unto Thee.

Thou, O Christ, hast taken on Thee
Bitter strokes, a cruel rod;
Pain and scorn were heaped upon Thee,
O Thou sinless Son of God,
Only thus for me to win
Rescue from the bonds of sin;
Praise and glory ever be,
Blessèd Jesus, unto Thee.

Thou didst bear the smiting only
That it might not fall on me;
Stoodest falsely charged and lonely
That I might be safe and free;
Comfortless that I might know
Comfort from Thy boundless woe.
Praise and glory ever be,
Blessèd Jesus, unto Thee.

Heartless scoffers did surround Thee,
Treating Thee with shameful scorn
And with piercing thorns they crowned Thee,
All disgrace Thou, Lord, hast borne
That as Thine Thou mightest own me
And with heavenly glory crown me.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

Thou hast suffered men to bruise Thee
That from pain I might be free;
Falsely did Thy foes accuse Thee,
Thence I gain security;
Comfortless Thy soul did languish
Me to comfort in my anguish.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

Thou hast suffered great affliction,
And hast borne it patiently,
Even death by crucifixion,
Fully to atone for me;
Thou didst choose to be tormented
That my doom should be prevented.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

Then, for all that wrought our pardon,
For Thy sorrows deep and sore,
For Thine anguish in the garden,
I will thank Thee evermore;
Thank Thee with my latest breath
For Thy sad and cruel death,
For that last and bitter cry
Praise Thee evermore on high.

Ernst C. Hom­burg,

Make Me a Captive, Lord
Lyrics by George Ma­the­son, 1890
Music by George J. El­vey, 1868

Make me a captive, Lord,
And then I shall be free.
Force me to render up my sword,
And I shall conqueror be.
I sink in life's alarms
When by myself I stand;
Imprison me within Thine arms,
And strong shall be my hand.
My heart is weak and poor
Until it's master find;
It has no spring of action sure,
It varies with the wind.
It cannot freely move till
Thou has wrought it's chain.
Enslave it with Thy matchless love,
And deathless it shall reign.

My power is faint and low,
Till I have learned to serve;
It lacks the needed fire to glow,
It lacks the breeze to nerve.
It cannot drive the world
Until itself be driven;
Its flag can only be unfurled
When Thou shalt breathe from heaven.

My will is not my own,
Till Thou hast made it Thine;
If it would reach a monarch's throne,
It must it's crown resign.
It only stands unbent
Amid the clashing strife,
When on Thy bosom it has leant,
And found in Thee its life.

Brethren, we have met to worship and adore the Lord our God;
Will you pray with all your power, while we try to preach the Word?
All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down;
Brethren, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.

Brethren, see poor sinners round you slumbering on the brink of woe;
Death is coming, hell is moving, can you bear to let them go?
See our fathers and our mothers, and our children sinking down;
Brethren, pray and holy manna will be showered all around.

Sisters, will you join and help us? Moses’ sister aided him;
Will you help the trembling mourners who are struggling hard with sin?
Tell them all about the Savior, tell them that He will be found;
Sisters, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.

Is there here a trembling jailer, seeking grace, and filled with tears?
Is there here a weeping Mary, pouring forth a flood of tears?
Brethren, join your cries to help them; sisters, let your prayers abound;
Pray, Oh pray that holy manna may be scattered all around.

Let us love our God supremely, let us love each other, too;
Let us love and pray for sinners, till our God makes all things new.
Then He’ll call us home to Heaven, at His table we’ll sit down;
Christ will gird Himself and serve us with sweet manna all around.

George At­kins

Thou only Sovereign of my heart,
My Refuge, my almighty Friend—
And can my soul from Thee depart,
On Whom alone my hopes depend?

Whither, ah whither shall I go,
A wretched wanderer from my Lord?
Can this dark world of sin and woe
One glimpse of happiness afford?

Eternal life Thy words impart;
On these my fainting spirit lives;
Here sweeter comforts cheer my heart
Than all the round of nature gives.

Let earth’s alluring joys combine,
While Thou art near, in vain they call;
One smile, one blissful smile of Thine,
My dearest Lord, outweighs them all.

Anne Steele

Salvation unto us has come
By God’s free grace and favor;
Good works cannot avert our doom,
They help and save us never.
Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone,
Who did for all the world atone;
He is our one Redeemer.

What God did in His law demand
And none to Him could render
Caused wrath and woe on every hand
For man, the vile offender.
Our flesh has not those pure desires
The spirit of the Law requires,
And lost is our condition.

It was a false, misleading dream
That God His Law had given
So sinners could themselves redeem
And by their works gain Heaven.
The Law is but a mirror bright
To bring the inbred sin to light
That lurks within our nature.

From sin our flesh could not abstain
Sin held its sway unceasing;
The task was useless and in vain,
Our guilt was e’er increasing.
None can remove sin’s poisoned dart
Or purify our guileful heart—
So deep is our corruption.

Yet as the Law must be fulfilled
Or we must die despairing,
Christ came and hath God’s anger stilled,
Our human nature sharing.
He hath for us the Law obeyed
And thus the Father’s vengeance stayed
Which over us impended.

Since Christ hath full atonement made
And brought us to salvation,
Each Christian therefore may be glad
And build on this foundation.
Thy grace alone, dear Lord, I plead,
Thy death is now my life indeed,
For Thou hast paid my ransom.

Let me not doubt, but trust in Thee,
Thy Word cannot be broken;
Thy call rings out, “Come unto Me!”
No falsehood hast Thou spoken.
Baptized into Thy precious Name,
My faith cannot be put to shame,
And I shall never perish.

The Law reveals the guilt of sin
And makes men conscience-stricken;
The Gospel then doth enter in
The sinful soul to quicken.
Come to the cross, trust Christ, and live;
The Law no peace can ever give,
No comfort and no blessing.

Faith clings to Jesus’ cross alone
And rests in Him unceasing;
And by its fruits true faith is known,
With love and hope increasing.
Yet faith alone doth justify,
Works serve thy neighbor and supply
The proof that faith is living.

All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise
To Father, Son, and Spirit,
The God that saved us by His grace—
All glory to His merit!
O Triune God in Heav’n above,
Who hast revealed Thy saving love,
Thy blessèd Name be hallowed.

Paul Spe­ra­tus, 1523,

If Thy belovèd Son, O God,
Had not to earth descended,
And in our mortal flesh and blood
Had not sin’s power ended,
Then this poor, wretched soul of mine
In hell eternally would pine
Because of its transgression.

But now I find sweet peace and rest,
Despair no more reigns o’er me;
No more am I by sin oppressed,
For Christ has borne sin for me.
Upon the cross for me He died
That, reconciled, I might abide
With Thee, my God, forever.

I trust in Him with all my heart;
Now all my sorrow ceases;
His words abiding peace impart,
His blood from guilt releases.
Free grace through Him I now obtain;
He washes me from every stain,
And pure I stand before Him.

All righteousness by works is vain,
The Law brings condemnation;
True righteousness by faith I gain,
Christ’s work is my salvation.
His death, that perfect sacrifice,
Has paid the all-sufficient price;
In Him my hope is anchored.

My guilt, O Father, Thou hast laid
On Christ, Thy Son, my Savior.
Lord Jesus, Thou my debt hast paid
And gained for me God’s favor.
O Holy Ghost, Thou Fount of grace,
The good in me to Thee I trace;
In faith do Thou preserve me.

Jo­hann Heer­man, 1630

God, the Hope of those who pray,
God, our Help where here we stay,
Life of those who pass away:
We beseech Thee, hear us.

Hear us for the men who fight
For our honor and the right,
Shield them with Thy glorious might:
We beseech Thee, hear us.

Father, Thou Who lovest all,
Help them when on Thee they call,
Ever keep them lest they fall:
We beseech Thee, hear us.

Christ, Who died to right the wrong,
Make our brothers brave and strong,
Though the war be fierce and long:
Hear us, holy Jesus.

By Thy cross, O Christ, draw near
Those who die, that they may hear
Thine own voice, and have no fear:
Hear us, holy Jesus.

Holy Spirit, come, we pray,
Guide our country day by day
In the high and holy way:
Hear us, Holy Spirit.

Make us all a worthier race,
Formed and strengthened by Thy grace,
Make this world a holier place:
Hear us, Holy Spirit.

Har­old Trask, 1915

As the bridegroom to his chosen,
As the king unto his realm,
As keep unto the castle,
As the pilot to the helm,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.

As the fountain in the garden,
As the candle in the dark,
As the treasure in the coffer,
As the manna in the ark,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.

As the ruby in the setting,
As the honey in the comb,
As the light within the lantern,
As the father in the home,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.

As the sunshine in the heavens,
As the image in the glass,
As the fruits upon the fig tree,
As the dew upon the grass,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.

Jo­han­nes Tau­ler (1300-1361);

Creator of the earth and sky,
Ruling the firmament on high,
Clothing the day with robes of light,
Blessing with gracious sleep the night.

That rest may comfort weary men,
And brace to useful toil again,
And soothe awhile the harassed mind,
And sorrow’s heavy load unbind.

Day sinks; we thank Thee for Thy gift;
Night comes; and once again we lift
Our prayer and vows and hymns that we
Against all ills may shielded be.

Thee let the secret heart acclaim,
Thee let our tuneful voices name,
Round Thee our chaste affections cling
Thee sober reason own as King.

That when black darkness closes day,
And shadows thicken round our way,
Faith may no darkness know, and night
From faith’s clear beam may borrow light.

Rest not, my heaven born mind and will;
Rest, all the thoughts and deeds of ill;
May faith its watch unwearied keep,
And cool the dreaming warmth of sleep.

From cheats of sense, Lord, keep me free;
And let my heart’s depth dream of Thee;
Let not my envious foe draw near,
To break my rest with any fear.

Pray we the Father and the Son,
And Holy Ghost: O Three in One,
Blest Trinity, Whom all obey,
Guard Thou Thy sheep by night and day.

Am­brose of Mi­lan (340-397)

Lord, I am Thine, entirely Thine,
Purchased and saved by blood divine;
With full consent Thine I would be,
And own Thy sovereign right in me.

Grant one poor sinner more a place
Among the children of Thy grace—
A wretched sinner, lost to God,
But ransomed by Immanuel’s blood.

Thine would I live, Thine would I die,
Be Thine through all eternity;
The vow is past beyond repeal,
And now I set the solemn seal.

Here, at that cross where flows the blood
That bought my guilty soul for God,
Thee my new Master now I call,
And consecrate to Thee my all.

Sam­u­el Da­vies (1723-1761)

And am I only born to die?
And must I suddenly comply
With nature’s stern decree?
What after death for me remains?
Celestial joys, or hellish pains,
To all eternity?

How then ought I on earth to live,
While God prolongs the kind reprieve
And props the house of clay?
My sole concern, my single care,
To watch, and tremble, and prepare
Against the fatal day.

No room for mirth or trifling here,
For worldly hope, or worldly fear,
If life so soon is gone:
If now the Judge is at the door,
And all mankind must stand before
The inexorable throne!

No matter which my thoughts employ,
A moment’s misery, or joy;
But O! when both shall end,
Where shall I find my destined place?
Shall I my everlasting days
With fiends, or angels spend?

Nothing is worth a thought beneath
But how I may escape the death
That never, never dies;
How make mine own election sure,
And, when I fail on earth, secure
A mansion in the skies.

Jesus, vouchsafe a pitying ray,
Be Thou my guide, be Thou my way
To glorious happiness;
Ah, write the pardon on my heart,
And whensoe’er I hence depart,
Let me depart in peace.

Charles Wes­ley, Hymns for Child­ren, 1763

Righteous God! Whose vengeful phials
All our fears and thoughts exceed,
Big with woes and fiery trials,
Hanging, bursting o’er our head;
While Thou visitest the nations,
Thy selected people spare;
Arm our cautioned souls with patience,
Fill our humbled hearts with prayer.

If Thy dreadful controversy
With all flesh is now begun,
In Thy wrath remember mercy,
Mercy first and last be shown;
Plead Thy cause with sword and fire,
Shake us till the curse remove,
Till Thou com’st, the world’s Desire,
Conquering all with sovereign love.

Every fresh alarming token
More confirms the faithful Word;
Nature (for its Lord hath spoken)
Must be suddenly restored:
From this national confusion,
From this ruined earth and skies,
See the times of restitution,
See the new creation rise!

Vanish, then, this world of shadows,
Pass the former things away:
Lord, appear! appear to glad us
With the dawn of endless day
O conclude this mortal story,
Throw this universe aside!
Come, eternal King of glory,
Now descend, and take Thy bride!

charles wesley

No strength of nature can suffice
To serve the Lord aright;
And what she has, she misapplies,
For want of clearer light.

How long beneath the Law I lay
In bondage and distress!
I toiled the precept to obey,
But toiled without success.

Then to abstain from outward sin
Was more than I could do;
Now, if I feel its power within,
I feel I hate it too.

Then all my servile works were done
A righteousness to raise;
Now, freely chosen in the Son,
I freely choose His ways.

What shall I do was then the word,
That I may worthier grow?
What shall I render to the Lord?
Is my inquiry now.

To see the Law by Christ fulfilled,
And hear His pardoning voice;
Changes a slave into a child,
And duty into choice.

Will­iam Cow­per

O who like Thee, so calm, so bright,
Thou Son of Man, Thou Light of Light?
O who like Thee did ever go
So patient through a world of woe!

O who like Thee so humbly bore
The scorn, the scoffs of men before;
So meek, forgiving, Godlike, high
So glorious in humility!

And all Thy life’s unchanging years,
A man of sorrows and of tears,
The cross, where all our sins were laid,
Upon Thy bending shoulders weighed.

And death, which sets the prisoner free,
Was pang, and scoff, and scorn to Thee;
Yet love through all Thy torture glowed,
And mercy with Thy life blood flowed.

O in thy light be mine to go,
Illuming all this way of woe;
And give me ever on the road
To trace Thy footsteps, Son of God.

Ar­thur C. Coxe

How shall I follow Him I serve?
How shall I copy Him I love?
Not from the blessèd footsteps swerve,
Which lead me to His seat above?

Privations, sorrows, bitter scorn,
The life of toil, the mean abode,
The faithless kiss, the crown of thorn,
Are these the consecrated road?

’Twas thus He suffered, though a Son,
Foreknowing, choosing, feeling all,
Until the perfect work was done,
And drunk the bitter cup of gall.

Lord, should my path through suffering lie
Forbid it I should e’er repine;
Still let me turn to Calvary,
Nor heed my griefs, remembering Thine.

O let me think how Thou didst leave
Untasted every pure delight,
To fast, to faint, to watch, to grieve,
The toilsome day, the homeless night.

To faint, to grieve, to die for me!
Thou camest, not Thyself to please;
And, dear as earthly comforts be,
Shall I not love Thee more than these?

Yes, I would count them all but loss,
To gain the notice of Thine eye:
Flesh shrinks and trembles at the cross,
But Thou canst give the victory.

Jo­si­ah Con­der

O Zion, open wide thy gates,
Let figures disappear;
A Priest and Victim, both in One,
The Truth Himself, is here.

No more the simple flock shall bleed;
Behold, the Father’s Son
Himself to His own altar comes
For sinners to atone.

Conscious of hidden deity,
The lowly virgin brings
Her newborn Babe, with two young doves,
Her humble offerings.

The agèd Simeon sees at last
His Lord, so long desired,
And Anna welcomes Israel’s hope,
With holy rapture fired.

But silent knelt the mother blest
Of the yet silent Word,
And pondering all things in her heart,
With speechless praise adored.

All glory to the Father be,
All glory to the Son,
All glory, Holy Ghost, to Thee,
While endless ages run.

Jean B. de San­teüil

O for that flame of living fire,
Which shone so bright in saints of old!
Which bade their souls to Heav’n aspire,
Calm in distress, in danger bold.

Where is that Spirit, Lord, which dwelt
In Abraham’s breast, and sealed him Thine?
Which made Paul’s heart with sorrow melt,
And glow with energy divine?

That Spirit which, from age to age,
Proclaimed Thy love, and taught Thy ways?
Brightened Isaiah’s vivid page,
And breathed into David’s hallowed lays?

Is not Thy grace as mighty now
As when Elijah felt its power;
When glory beamed from Moses’ brow,
Or Job endured the trying hour?

Remember, Lord, the ancient days;
Renew Thy work; thy grace restore;
Warm our cold hearts to prayer and praise,
And teach us how to love Thee more.

Will­iam H. Bat­hurst

"There is a fountain, fill'd with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins,
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

"Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power,
Till all the ransom'd church of God
Be saved, to sin no more."

i dont know who wrote it... but i found it in Albert Barnes Atonement,

Oh, enter, Lord, Thy temple,
Be Thou my spirit’s Guest,
Who gavest me, the earth-born,
A second birth more blest.
Thou in the Godhead, Lord,
Though here to dwell Thou deignest,
Forever equal reignest,
Art equally adored.

Oh, enter, let me know Thee
And feel Thy power within,
The power that breaks our fetters
And rescues us from sin;
Oh, wash and cleanse Thou me
That I may serve Thee truly
And render honor duly
With perfect heart to Thee.

Thou art, O Holy Spirit,
The true anointing Oil,
Through which are consecrated
Soul, body, rest, and toil
To Christ, whose guardian wings,
Where’er their lot appointed,
Protect His own anointed,
His prophets, priests, and kings.

Thou, Holy Spirit, teachest
The soul to pray aright;
Thy songs have sweetest music,
Thy prayers have wondrous might.
Unheard they cannot fall,
They pierce the highest heaven
Till He His help hath given
Who surely helpeth all.

Thy gift is joy, O Spirit,
Thou wouldst not have us pine;
In darkest hours Thy comfort
Doth ever brightly shine.
And, oh, how oft Thy voice
Hath shed its sweetness o’er me
And opened heaven before me
And bid my heart rejoice!

All love is Thine, O Spirit;
Thou hatest enmity;
Thou lovest peace and friendship,
All strife wouldst have us flee;
Where wrath and discord reign,
Thy whisper kindly pleadeth
And to the heart that heedeth
Brings love and light again.

Our path in all things order
According to Thy mind,
And when this life is over
And all must be resigned,
Oh, grant us then to die
With calm and fearless spirit
And after death inherit
Eternal life on high.

Paul Ger­hardt

Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems, 1740.

Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire,
Let us Thine influence prove:
Source of the old prophetic fire,
Fountain of life and love.

Come, Holy Ghost, for moved by Thee
The prophets wrote and spoke;
Unlock the truth, Thyself the key,
Unseal the sacred book.

Expand Thy wings, celestial Dove,
Brood o’er our nature’s night;
On our disordered spirits move,
And let there now be light.

God, through Himself, we then shall know
If Thou within us shine,
And sound with all Thy saints below,
The depths of love divine.

Charles Wes­ley, Hymns on the Lord’s Sup­per, 1745, num­ber 57.

O the depth of love divine, th’unfathomable grace!
Who shall say how bread and wine God into us conveys!
How the bread His flesh imparts, how the wine transmits His blood,
Fills His faithful people’s hearts with all the life of God!

Let the wisest mortals show how we the grace receive;
Feeble elements bestow a power not theirs to give.
Who explains the wondrous way, how through these the virtue came?
These the virtue did convey, yet still remain the same.

How can spirits heavenward rise, by earthly matter fed,
Drink herewith divine supplies and eat immortal bread?
Ask the Father’s wisdom how: Christ Who did the means ordain;
Angels round our altars bow to search it out, in vain.

Sure and real is the grace, the manner be unknown;
Only meet us in thy ways and perfect us in one.
Let us taste the heavenly powers, Lord, we ask for nothing more.
Thine to bless,’ tis only ours to wonder and adore.

I dident have this whole hymn and a dear sister PM me and had found it. Here is the whole hymn, it is a beautiful hymn!

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine.

by Will­iam Cow­per

SEE HIM IN RAIMENT RENT

See Him in raiment rent,
With His blood dyed:
Women walk sorrowing,
By His side.

Heavy that cross to Him,
Weary the weight:
One who will help Him stands
At the gate.

Multitudes hurrying
Pass on the road:
Simon is sharing with
Him the load.

Who is this traveling
With the curst tree—
This weary prisoner—
Who is He?

Follow to Calvary,
Tread where He rod:
This is the Lord of life—
Son of God.

Is there no loveliness—
You who pass by—
In that lone Figure which
Marks the sky?

You Who would love Him, stand,
Gaze at His face;
Tarry awhile in your
Worldly race.

As the swift moments fly
Through the blest week,
Jesus, in penitence,
Let us seek.

On the cross lifted up,
Thy face I scan,
Scarred by that agony—
Son of Man.

Thorns form Thy diadem,
Rough wood Thy throne,
To Thee Thy outstretched arms
Draw Thine own.

Nails hold Thy hands and feet,
While on Thy breast
Sinketh Thy bleeding head
Sore oppressed.

Loud is Thy bitter cry,
Rending the night,
As to Thy darkened eyes
Fails the light.

Shadows of midnight fall,
Though it is day;
Friends and disciples stand
Far away.

Loud scoffs the dying thief,
Mocking Thy woe;
Can this my Savior be
Brought so low?

Yes, see the title clear,
Written above,
“Jesus of Nazareth,”
Name of love!

What, O my Savior dear,
What didst Thou see,
That made Thee suffer and
Die for me?

Child of My grief and pain!
From realms above,
I came to lead thee to
Life and love.

For thee My blood I shed,
For thee I died;
Safe in thy faithfulness
Now abide.

I saw thee wandering,
Weak and at strife;
I am the Way for thee,
Truth and life.

Follow My path of pain,
Tread where I trod:
This is the way of peace
Up to God.

O I will follow Thee,
Star of my soul!
Through the great dark I press
To the goal.

Yes, let me know Thy grief,
Carry Thy cross,
Share in Thy sacrifice,
Gain Thy loss.

Daily I’ll prove my love,
Through joy and woe;
Where Thy hands point the way,
There I go.

Lead me on year by year,
Safe to the end,
Jesus, my Lord, my Life,
King and Friend.

Words: Ed­ward Mon­ro and Mrs. M. Dear­mer, in The Eng­lish Hymn­al (Lon­don: Ox­ford Un­i­ver­si­ty Press, 1906); this ver­sion is a re­cast of Mon­ro’s “In His Own Rai­ment Clad,” in A Sup­ple­ment to Hymns used in the Church of St. John the Evan­gel­ist, Leeds (Leeds, Eng­land: E. W. Sharp, 1864).

John Hunt­er, Hymns of Faith and Life, 1889.

Dear Jesus, in Whose life I see
All that I would, but fail to be,
Let Thy clear light forever shine,
To shame and guide this life of mine.

Though what I dream and what I do
In my weak days are always two,
Help me, oppressed by things undone,
O Thou Whose deeds and dreams were one!

Words: Ma­ry B. Slade, in The Am­a­ranth, by At­ti­cus G. Hay­good and Rig­don M. Mc­In­tosh (Nash­ville, Ten­nes­see: 1871).

Music: Asa B. Ev­er­ett

Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling,
Come, follow Me!
And we see where Thy footprints falling
Lead us to Thee.

Refrain

Footprints of Jesus,
That make the pathway glow;
We will follow the steps of Jesus
Where’er they go.

Though they lead o’er the cold, dark mountains,
Seeking His sheep;
Or along by Siloam’s fountains,
Helping the weak.

Refrain

If they lead through the temple holy,
Preaching the Word;
Or in homes of the poor and lowly,
Serving the Lord.

Refrain

Though, dear Lord, in Thy pathway keeping,
We follow Thee;
Through the gloom of that place of weeping,
Gethsemane!

Refrain

If Thy way and its sorrows bearing,
We go again,
Up the slope of the hillside, bearing
Our cross of pain.

Refrain

By and by, through the shining portals,
Turning our feet,
We shall walk, with the glad immortals,
Heav’n’s golden street.

Refrain

Then at last when on high He sees us,
Our journey done,
We will rest where the steps of Jesus
End at His throne.

Refrain

[url=http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/f/o/footprin.htm]Cyberhymnal[/url]

A
COLLECTION OF HYMNS,
FOR
THE USE OF THE PEOPLE CALLED
METHODISTS.
BY THE REV. JOHN WESLEY

I was "browsing" through a online version of this songbook, and this "heading" just spoke to me, what songs they sang back then....

[i]PART III.

SECTION I. Praying for Repentance 99

II. For Mourners convinced of Sin 108

III. For Persons convinced of Backsliding 168

IV. For Backsliders recovered 182 [/i]

(60 pages of hymns about convicyion of sin!)

here are some out takes.

1 ENSLAVED to sense, to pleasure prone,
Fond of created good,
Father, our helplessness we own,
And trembling taste our food.

2 Trembling we taste; for, ah! no more
To thee the creatures lead;
Changed, they exert a baneful power,
And poison while they feed.

3 Cursed for the sake of wretched man,
They now engross him whole;
With pleasing force on earth detain,
And sensualize his soul.

4 Grovelling on earth we still must lie,
Till Christ the curse repeal;
Till Christ, descending from on high,
Infected nature heal.

5 Come then, our heavenly Adam, come,
Thy healing influence give,
Hallow our food, reverse our doom,
And bid us eat and live!

6 The bondage of corruption break,
For this our spirits groan;
Thy only will we fain would seek,
O save us from our own!

7 Turn the full stream of nature's tide;
Let all our actions tend
To thee their source; thy love the guide,
Thy glory be the end.

8 Earth then a scale to heaven shall be,
Sense shall point out the road,
The creatures all shall lead to thee,
And all we taste be God.

---------------------------------

1 WITH glorious clouds encompassed round,
Whom angels dimly see,
Will the Unsearchable be found,
Or God appear to me?

2 Will he forsake his throne above,
Himself to worms impart?
Answer, thou Man of grief and love,
And speak it to my heart!

3 In manifested love explain
Thy wonderful design;
What meant the suffering Son of man,
The streaming blood divine?

4 Didst thou not in our flesh appear,
And live and die below,
That I may now perceive thee near,
And my Redeemer know?

5 Come then, and to my soul reveal
The heights and depths of grace,
The wounds which all thy sorrows heal,
That dear disfigured face.

6 Before my eyes of faith confest,
Stand forth a slaughtered Lamb;
And wrap me in thy crimson vest,
And tell me all thy name.

7 Jehovah in thy person show,
Jehovah crucified!
And then the pardoning God I know,
And feel the blood applied;

8 I view the Lamb in his own light,
Whom angels dimly see,
And gaze, transported at the sight,
Through all eternity.

---------------------------------

1 YIELD to me now, for I am weak,
But confident in self-despair;
Speak to my heart, in blessings speak,
Be conquered by my instant prayer;
Speak, or thou never hence shalt move,
And tell me if thy name is Love.

2 'Tis Love! 'tis Love! thou diedst for me!
I hear thy whisper in my heart;
The morning breaks, the shadows flee,
Pure, universal love thou art;
To me, to all, thy bowels move;
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

3 My prayer hath power with God; the grace
Unspeakable I now receive;
Through faith I see thee face to face,
I see thee face to face, and live!
In vain I have not wept and strove;
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

4 I know thee, Saviour, who thou art.
Jesus, the feeble sinner's friend;
Nor wilt thou with the night depart.
But stay and love me to the end,
Thy mercies never shall remove;
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

5 The Sun of righteousness on me
Hath rose with healing in his wings,
Withered my nature's strength; from thee
My soul its life and succour brings;
My help is all laid up above;
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

6 Contented now upon my thigh
I halt, till life's short journey end;
All helplessness, all weakness, I
On thee alone for strength depend,
Nor have I power from thee to move;
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

7 Lame as I am, I take the prey,
Hell, earth, and sin, with ease o'ercome;
I leap for joy, pursue my way,
And as a bounding hart fly home,
Through all eternity to prove
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

--------------------------------------

1 MY God, my God, to thee I cry,
Thee only would I know;
Thy purifying blood apply,
And wash me white as snow.

2 Touch me, and make the leper clean;
Purge my iniquity;
Unless thou wash my soul from sin,
I have no part in thee.

3 But art thou not already mine?
Answer, if mine thou art!
Whisper within, thou Love divine,
And cheer my drooping heart.

4 Tell me again my peace is made,
And bid the sinner live;
The debt's discharged, the ransom's paid,
My Father must forgive.

5 Behold, for me the victim bleeds,
His wounds are opened wide;
For me the blood of sprinkling pleads,
And speaks me justified.

6 O why did I my Saviour leave?
So soon unfaithful prove!
How could I thy good Spirit grieve,
And sin against thy love?

7 I forced thee first to disappear,
I turned thy face aside;
Ah, Lord! if thou hadst still been here,
Thy servant had not died.

8 But O, how soon thy wrath is o'er,
And pardoning love takes place!
Assist me, Saviour, to adore
The riches of thy grace.

9 O could I lose myself in thee,
Thy depth of mercy prove,
Thou vast, unfathomable sea
Of unexhausted love!

10 My humbled soul, when thou art near,
In dust and ashes lies;
How shall a sinful worm appear,
Or meet thy purer eyes?

11 I loathe myself when God I see,
And into nothing fall;
Content if thou exalted be,
And Christ be in my all.

The call to arms is sounding,
The foemen muster strong;
While saints beneath the altar
Are crying, “Lord, how long?”
The living and the loving
Christ’s royal standard raise,
And marching on to conflict
Shout forth their Captain’s praise.

No time for self-indulgence,
For resting by the way;
Repose will come at even,
But toil is for the day;
Work, like the blessèd Jesus,
Who from His earliest youth
Would do His Father’s business
And witness for the truth.

For the one Faith, the true Faith,
The Faith which cannot fail,
For the one Church, the true Church,
’Gainst which no foes prevail;
Made one with God incarnate,
We in His might must win
The glory of self-conquest,
Of victory over sin.

Behold! upon Mount Sion
A glorious people stand,
A crown on every forehead,
A palm in every hand;
Lo! these are they who boldly
The Name of Christ confessed,
And now triumphant praise Him
In Heav’n’s unresting rest.

O Jesu! Who art waiting
Thy faithful ones to crown,
Vouchsafe to bless our conflict,
Our loving service own;
Come in each heart forever
As King adored to reign,
Till we with saints triumphant
Uplift the victor strain.

Claudia F. Hernaman, in Crown of Life, 1886.