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Congratulation to a Friend, upon Believing in CHRIST.

I.
1 WHAT Morn on Thee with sweeter Ray,
2 Or brighter Lustre e'er hath shin'd?
3 Be blest the Memorable Day
4 That gave Thee JESUS CHRIST to find!
5 Gave Thee to taste his perfect Grace,
6 From Death to Life in Him to pass!
II.
7 O how diversify'd the Scene,
8 Since first that Heart began to beat!
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9 Evil and few thy Days have been:
10 In Suff'ring, and in Comfort, great,
11 Oft hast Thou groan'd beneath thy Load,
12 And sunk — into the Arms of GOD!
III.
13 Long did all Hell its Pow'rs engage,
14 And fill'd thy darken'd Soul with Fears:
15 Baffled at length the Dragon's Rage,
16 At length th'Attoning Blood appears:
17 Thy Light is come, thy Mourning's o'er,
18 Look up; for Thou shalt weep no more!
IV.
19 Blest be the Name that sets Thee free,
20 The Name that sure Salvation brings!
21 The Sun of Righteousness on Thee
22 Has rose with Healing in his Wings.
23 Away let Grief and Sighing flee;
24 JESUS has died for Thee — for Thee!
V.
25 And will He now forsake his own,
26 Or lose the Purchase of his Blood?
27 No! for He looks with Pity down,
28 He watches over Thee for Good;
29 Gracious He eyes Thee from above,
30 And guards and feeds Thee with his Love.
VI.
31 Since Thou wast precious in his Sight,
32 How highly favour'd hast Thou been!
33 Upborn by Faith to Glory's Height,
34 The Saviour-GOD thine Eyes have seen,
35 Thy Heart has felt its Sins forgiv'n,
36 And tastes Anticipated Heav'n.
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VII.
37 Still may his Love thy Fortress be
38 And make Thee still his darling Care,
39 Settle, confirm, and stablish Thee,
40 On Eagle's Wings thy Spirit bear:
41 Fill Thee with Heav'n, and ever shed
42 His choicest Blessings on thy Head.
VIII.
43 Thus may He comfort Thee below,
44 Thus may He all his Graces give:
45 Him but in part Thou here canst know:
46 Yet here by Faith submit to live;
47 Help Me to fight my Passage thro',
48 Nor seize thy Heav'n, till I may too.
IX.
49 Or if the Sov'reign wise Decree
50 First number Thee among the Blest,
51 (The only Good I'd envy Thee)
52 Translating to an earlier Rest;
53 Near in thy latest Hour may I
54 Instruct, and learn of Thee, to die.
X.
55 Mixt with the Quires that hover round
56 And all th' Adverse Pow'rs controul,
57 Angel of Peace may I be found
58 To animate thy parting Soul,
59 Point out the Crown, and smooth thy Way
60 To Regions of Eternal Day.
XI.
61 Fir'd with the Thought, I see Thee now
62 Triumphant meet the King of Fears!
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63 Stedfast thy Heart, serene thy Brow;
64 Divinely confident appears
65 Thy mounting Soul, and spreads abroad,
66 And swells to be dissolv'd in GOD.
XII.
67 Is this the Soul so late weigh'd down
68 By Cares and Sins, by Griefs and Pains!
69 Whither are all thy Terrors gone?
70 JESUS for Thee the Vict'ry gains;
71 And Death, and Sin and Satan yield
72 To Faith's unconquerable Shield.
XIII.
73 Blest be the GOD, that calls Thee home;
74 Faithful to Thee his Mercies prove:
75 Thro' Death's dark Vale he bids Thee come,
76 And more than conquer in his Love;
77 Robes Thee in Righteousness Divine,
78 And makes the Crown of Glory Thine!

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Title (in Source Edition): Congratulation to a Friend, upon Believing in CHRIST.
Author: Rev. Charles Wesley
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Genres: hymn

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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. 203-206. 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].)

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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