66 What joy shall abound, When our brethren around The throne of our glorious Redeemer are found! We embrace them again, And in Jesus's bosom eternally reign. With loving surprise The whole company cries, How strangely at last are we met in the skies! Transcending our praise, That we should be seen in this holiest place! "Poor sinners below, Acquainted with wo, How heavily once with our load did we go! How oft did we fear We should never hold out, and should never come here! "Fellow-prisoners beneath, Our sorrowful breath We wasted in passionate wishes for death; Our evils so rife, So painful our strife, And so long did it seem, the sad moment of life! "That moment is past! We are landed at last; We are safely arrived where our anchor was cast: With a numberless band Of cherubs and seraphs, exulting we stand. "For a moment of pain We on earth did sustain, An eternal reward we in heaven obtain : Who governs the skies Hath banish'd our sighs, And the Lamb he hath wiped all tears from our eyes. "No uneasy alloy Shall sully our joy, While our harps in Immanuel's praise we employ ; Shall be heard while we sing, With the chorus of angels, our Saviour and King. "Our Saviour we own, Who sits on the throne, Salvation ascribe to the Father and Son! 'We are saved by the Lamb! Let all heaven proclaim, Let all heaven bow down to the wonderful name! "Our Jesus surround, With majesty crown'd, And 'Amen' to our praises, ye seraphim, sound; Ye seraphim, gaze, Or fall, and adore in the spirit of praise. "Thus, thus let us lie, "Hallelujah!' again, Hallelujah! we cry; And in rapture improve, And eternity spend in the praise of his love." NOTE TO PAGE 124. MR. CHARLES WESLEY declined to write an epitaph on Mr. Hervey; but he composed the following hymn on the occasion of his friend's death: PART I. He's gone! the spotless soul is gone, The prison walls are broken down, The angels speed his swift remove, Through the last dreadful conflict brought, Which shook so sore his dying breast, A jewel added to his crown. Saved by the merit of his Lord, According to his works receives; Redeem'd by righteousness divine, In God's own portraiture complete, With brighter rays ordain'd to shine, He casts his crown at Jesus' feet, And hails him sitting on the throne, For ever saved by grace alone. PART II. Father, to us vouchsafe the grace Which brought our friend victorious through; Let us his shining footsteps trace, Let us his steadfast faith pursue, Follow this follower of the Lamb, And conquer all through Jesus' name. Through Jesus' name, and strength, and word, Compell'd the aliens to submit, And trampled flesh beneath his feet. In vain the Gnostic tempter tried With guile his upright heart t' insnare; His upright heart the fiend defied; No room for sin when Christ was there; No need of fancied liberty, When Christ had made him truly free. Free from the law of sin and death, And, labouring for the rest of heaven, How full of heaven his latest word, Have clasp'd thee, Saviour, in my heart, O might we all like him believe, And keep the faith, and win the prize! Our hallow'd spirits to the skies, NOTE TO PAGE 125. MR. CHARLES WESLEY wrote the following hymns on the death of Mr. Grimshaw. We copy them from his own manuscript : I. THANKS be to God, whose truth, and power, And faithful mercies never end; Who brings us through the mortal hour, Thanks be to God, the God of love, The giver of all-conquering grace; And shows him there his open face. The God whom here his faith beheld, He sees in glorious light reveal'd, And shouts and falls before the throne. 66 We, Saviour, at thy footstool lie, Thy creatures, purchased by thy blood, And "Holy! holy! holy !" cry, In honour of the Triune God; With angels and archangels join, Or breathe unutterable praise. We praise the constancy of love, To us who in thy blood believe, The world, the fiend, and sin tread down, Thou wilt the final victory give, And then the bright triumphal crown. II. How happy the dead Who Jesus adored! My father, my guide," Our Israel may say, "Devotion in tears Expresses its love, Till Jesus appears, Our souls to remove; "We mourn, but as men Rejoicing in hope, |