Hymns for our Lord's Resurrection/Hymn V

by Charles Wesley

Hymn V.

1⁠OBJECT of all our Knowledge here,
⁠Our One Desire, and Hope below,
Jesus, the Crucified, draw near,
⁠And with thy sad Disciples go:
Our Thoughts and Words to Thee are known,
We commune of Thyself alone.

2⁠How can it be, our Reason cries,
⁠That GOD should leave his Throne above?
Is it for Man th'Immortal dies!
⁠For Man, who tramples on his Love!
For Man, who nail'd him to the Tree!
O Love! O GOD! He dies for me!

3⁠Why then, if Thou for me hast died,
⁠Dost Thou not yet Thyself impart?
We hop'd to feel Thy Blood applied,
⁠To find Thee risen in our Heart,
Redeem'd from all Iniquity,
Sav'd, to the utmost sav'd, thro' Thee.

4⁠Have we not then believ'd in vain,
⁠By Christ unsanctified, unfreed?
In us He is not ris'n again,
⁠We know not but He still is dead,
No Life, no Righteousness we have,
Our Hopes seem buried in his Grave.

5⁠Ah! Lord, if Thou indeed art ours,
⁠If Thou for us hast burst the Tomb,
Visit us with thy quickening Powers,
⁠Come to thy mournful Followers come,
Thyself to thy weak Members join,
And fill us with the Life Divine.

6⁠Thee, the great Prophet sent from GOD,
⁠Mighty in Deed and Word we own;
Thou hast on some the Grace bestow'd,
⁠Thy Rising in their Hearts made known;
They publish Thee, to Life restor'd,
Attesting They have seen the LORD.

7⁠Alas for us, whose Eyes are held!
⁠Why cannot We our Saviour see?
With us Thou art, yet still conceal'd:
⁠O might we hear one Word from Thee!
Speak, and to our Unbelief reprove,
Our Baseness to mistrust thy Love.

8⁠Fools as we are, and slow of Heart,
⁠So backward to believe the Word!
The Prophets Only Aim Thou art:
⁠They sang the Sufferings of their Lord,
Thy Life for ours a Ransom given,
Thy Rising to insure our Heaven.

9⁠Ought not our Lord the Death to die,
⁠And then the glorious Life to live?
To stoop; and then to go up on high?
⁠The Pain, and then the Joy receive?
His Blood, the Purchase-Price lay down,
Endure the Cross, and claim the Crown?

10⁠Ought not the Members all to pass
⁠The Way their Head had pass'd before?
Thro' Sufferings perfected He was,
⁠The Garment dipt in Blood He wore,
That we with Him might die, and rise
And bear his Nature to the Skies!