Page:The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated.djvu/330

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318 THE METHODIST HYMN-BOOK ILLUSTRATED

Hymn 540. Deepen the wound Tliy hands have made.

CHARLES WESLEY (i).

Short Hymns on Select Passages of Scripture, 1762. Verses I, 2, I wound and I heal, Deut. xxxii. 39 (Works, ix. ill) ; and verses 3, 4, Ps. cxix. 96 (Works, ix. 330).

In ver. 2 Charles Wesley wrote, Till bold to cry}

Hymn 541. What now is my object and aim?

CHARLES WESLEY (i).

Short Hymns on Select Passages of Scripture, 1762; Works, ix. 293, 298.

Verses I and 2 on Ps. xxxix. 8 ; 3 and 4 on Ps. xlii. 2.

Hymn 542. Give me the enlarged desire. CHARLES WESLEY (i).

Short Hymns on Select Passages of Scripture, 1762 ; Works, ix. 312. The opening line reads, Give me that enlarged desire. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Ps. Ixxxi. 10.

Joseph Benson says that John Fletcher used to gather the students at Trevecca in his room to pray for the fulness of the Holy Spirit. This was not done once or twice, but many times. And I have sometimes seen him on these occasions, once in particular, so filled with the love of God, that he could contain no more ; but cried out, " O my God, withhold Thy hand, or the vessel will burst." But he afterwards told me he was afraid he had grieved the Spirit of God ; and that he ought rather to have prayed that the Lord would have enlarged the vessel, or have suffered it to break, that the soul might have no further bar or interruption to its enjoyment of the Supreme Good. Wesley adds, This is certainly a just remark. The proper prayer on such an occasion would have been

Give me the enlarged desire, And open, Lord, my soul.

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