With loving surprise

The whole company cries,

"How strangely at last are we met in the skies! What a wonder of grace,

Transcending our praise,

That we should be seen in this holiest place!

"Poor sinners below,

Acquainted with woe,

How heavily once with our load did we go!

In trials severe,

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:
On Emmanuel's land,

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 Emmanuel's praise we employ ;

Not a dissonant string

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: Lo, he shows us his face!

"Thus, thus let us lie,

Till, raised by his eye,

Hallelujah!' again, 'Hallelujah!' we cry ;
Progressively move,

And in rapture improve,

And eternity spend in the praise of his love."

Note to page 173.

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,
Triumphant to his place above;

The prison walls are broken down,

The angels speed his swift remove,

And shouting on their wings he flies,
And HERVEY rests in paradise.

Through the last dreadful conflict brought,
Which shook so sore his dying breast,

Far happier for that bitter draught,

With more transcendent raptures blest,
He finds for every patient groan

A jewel added to his crown.

Saved by the merit of his Lord,
Salvation, praise to Christ he gives;
Yet still his merciful reward

According to his works receives;
And with the seed he sow'd below,
His bliss eternally shall grow.

Redeem'd by righteousness divine,

In God's own portraiture complete,
With brighter rays ordain'd to shine,
He casts his crown at Jesu's 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 Jesu's name.

Through Jesu's name, and strength, and word,
The well-fought fight our brother won;
Arm'd with the Saviour's blood and sword,
He cast the dire accuser down;
Compell'd the aliens to submit,
And trampled flesh beneath his feet.

In vain the Gnostic tempter tried

With guile his upright heart to' ensnare; 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,
Free from the antinomian leaven,
He led his Master's life beneath;
And, labouring for the rest of heaven,
By active love, and watchful prayer,
He show'd his heart already there.

How full of heaven his latest word,
"Thou bidd'st me now in peace depart,
For I have known my precious Lord,

Have clasp'd thee, Saviour, in my heart,
My eyes thy glorious joy have seen! "
He spake; he died; and enter'd in.

O might we all, like him, believe,

And keep the faith, and win the prize! Father, prepare, and then receive,

Our hallow'd spirits to the skies, To chant, with all our friends above, Thy glorious, everlasting love.

Note to page 175.

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,
And bids our spotless souls ascend!

Thanks be to God, the God of love,

The Giver of all-conquering grace;
Who calls our friend to joys above,

And shows him there his open face.

The God whom here his faith beheld,
The Father's fulness in his Son,

He sees in glorious light reveal'd,

And shouts, and falls before the throne.

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,

With all the ransom'd sons of grace,

Extol the Majesty divine,

Or breathe unutterable praise.

We praise the constancy of love,

Which kept its favourite to the end,

Which soon shall all our souls remove,
Who trust in our Eternal Friend.