[Page 55]
A HYMN for MIDNIGHT.
I.
[Page 56]1 WHILE Midnight Shades the Earth o'erspread,
2 And veil the Bosom of the Deep,
3 Nature reclines her weary Head,
4 And Care respires and Sorrows sleep:
5 My Soul still aims at Nobler Rest,
6 Aspiring to her Saviour's Breast.
II.
7 Aid me, ye hov'ring Spirits near,
8 Angels and Ministers of Grace;
9 Who ever, while you guard us here,
10 Behold your Heav'nly Father's Face!
11 Gently my raptur'd Soul convey
12 To Regions of Eternal Day.
III.
13 Fain would I leave this Earth below.
14 Of Pain and Sin the dark Abode;
15 Where shadowy Joy, or solid Woe
16 Allures, or tears me from my GOD:
17 Doubtful and Insecure of Bliss,
18 Since Death alone confirms me His.
IV.
19 Till then, to Sorrow born I sigh,
20 And gasp, and languish after Home;
21 Upward I send my streaming Eye,
22 Expecting till the Bridegroom come:
23 Come quickly, Lord! Thy own receive,
24 Now let me see thy Face, and live.
V.
25 Absent from Thee, my exil'd Soul
26 Deep in a Fleshly Dungeon groans;
27 Around me Clouds of Darkness roll,
28 And lab'ring Silence speaks my Moans:
29 Come quickly, Lord! Thy Face display,
30 And look my Midnight into Day.
VI.
31 Error and Sin, and Death are o'er
32 If Thou reverse the Creature's Doom;
33 Sad, Rachel weeps her Loss no more,
34 If Thou the GOD, the Saviour come:
[Page 57]35 Of Thee possest, in Thee we prove
36 The Light, the Life, the Heav'n of Love.
Source edition
Wesley, John, 1703-1791. Wesley, Charles, 1707-1788. Hymns and sacred poems: Published by John Wesley, ... and Charles Wesley, ... London: printed by William Strahan; and sold by James Hutton; and at Mr. Bray's, 1739, pp. 55-57. x,[6],223,[1]p.; 12⁰. (ESTC T31323; OTA K034809.000) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Vet. A4 f. 254].)
Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.
Other works by Rev. Charles Wesley
- The 53d Chapter of ISAIAH. ()
- ACTS i. 4. Wait for the Promise of the Father, which ye have heard of me. ()
- ACTS ii. 41, &c. ()
- ACTS iv. 29. ()
- After a Recovery from Sickness. ()
- Another. ()
- Another. ()
- Another. ()
- At MEALS. ()
- CHRIST the Friend of Sinners. ()
- Congratulation to a Friend, upon Believing in CHRIST. ()
- FREE GRACE. ()
- GAL. iii. 22. The Scripture hath concluded all under Sin, that the Promise by Faith of JESUS CHRIST might be given to them that believe. ()
- Glory be to GOD on high, &c. ()
- GRACE after MEAT. ()
- GRACE after MEAT. ()
- GRACE before MEAT. ()
- GRACE before MEAT. ()
- HEB. xii. 2. Looking unto JESUS, the Author and Finisher of our Faith. ()
- HYMN after the Sacrament. ()
- HYMN for ASCENSION-DAY. ()
- HYMN for CHRISTMAS-DAY. ()
- HYMN for EASTER-DAY. ()
- HYMN for the EPIPHANY. ()
- HYMN for WHITSUNDAY. ()
- HYMN of THANKSGIVING to the FATHER. ()
- HYMN on the Titles of CHRIST. ()
- HYMN to CHRIST the King. ()
- HYMN to CONTEMPT. ()
- HYMN to the HOLY GHOST. ()
- HYMN to the HOLY GHOST. ()
- HYMN to the SON. ()
- IId HYMN to CHRIST the King. ()
- IId HYMN to CHRIST. ()
- IIId HYMN to CHRIST. ()
- In AFFLICTION. ()
- In DESERTION or TEMPTATION. ()
- ISA. li. 9, &c. ()
- ISAIAH xliii. 1, 2, 3. ()
- JOHN xv. 18, 19. ()
- JOHN xvi. 24. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your Joy may be full. ()
- JUSTIFIED, but not SANCTIFIED. ()
- The MAGNIFICAT. ()
- MATTH. V. 3. Blessed are they that mourn. ()
- A MORNING HYMN. ()
- On Reading Monsr. de RENTY's Life. ()
- On the Conversion of a Common Harlot. LUKE XV. 10. There is Joy in the Presence of the Angels of GOD over one Sinner that repenteth. ()
- A PRAYER under Convictions. ()
- ROM. iv. 5. To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the Ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righteousness. ()
- SOLITUDE. From the Latin. ()
- Therefore with Angels, &c. ()
- To be sung at WORK. ()
- Written in the Beginning of a Recovery from Sickness. ()
- ZEAL. ()