The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley 226Universal Redemption

Father , whose hand on all bestows

Sufficiency of saving grace;

Whose universal love o'erflows

The whole of Adam's fallen race;

Within no narrow bounds confined,

The vast, unfathomable sea

Swells, and embraces all mankind;--

For, O my God, it reach'd to me!

If I could hear Thy quickening call,

Then all may seek, and find Thee too;

Surely Thou loving art to all,

And I stand forth to prove it true.

Was there a man Thou doom'st to die,

How justly then might I despair!

For who so vile a wretch as I?

For who so bold his God to dare?

Was there a single soul decreed

Thy unrelenting hate to know,

Then I were he--and well might dread

The horrors of eternal woe.

But, O, in vain the tempter tries

To shake the Rock that ne'er shall move;

My steadfast soul His power defies,

Secure in this, that God is love.

Whoe'er admits; my soul disowns

The image of a torturing God,

Well-pleased with human shrieks and groans,

A fiend, a Molock gorged with blood!

Good God! that any child of Thine

So horribly should think of Thee!

Lo! all my hopes I here resign,

If all may not find grace with me.

If fury can in Thee have place,

Empty it on my helpless head;

Cut off, exclude me from Thy grace,

Unless for all the Saviour bled.

If all may not Thy mercy claim,

On me the vengeful bolt let fall;

Take back my interest in the Lamb,

Unless the Victim died for all.