English text
Charles Wesley, 1749
1. How happy are they,
Who the Savior obey,
And have laid up their treasure above,
Tongue cannot express
The sweet comfort, and peace
Of a soul in its earliest love.
2. That comfort was mine,
When the favor divine
I first found in the blood of the Lamb;
When my heart it believed,
What a joy it received,
What a heaven in Jesus his name!
3. Twas an heaven below
My Savior to know;
The angels could do nothing more
Than fall at his feet,
And the story repeat,
And the lover of sinners adore.
4. Jesus all the day long
Was my joy and my song;
O that all his salvation may see!
He hath loved me, I cried,
He hath suffered, and died,
To redeem such a rebel as me.
5. On the wings of his love
I was carried above
All sin, and temptation, and pain;
I could not believe
That I ever should grieve,
That I ever should suffer again.
6. I rode on the sky,
(Freely justified I!)
Nor envied Elijah his seat;
My soul mounted higher
In a chariot of fire,
And the moon it was under my feet.
7. O the rapturous height
Of that holy delight,
Which I felt in the life-giving blood!
Of my Savior possesed
I was perfectly blessed,
As if fill’d with the fullness of God.
8. Ah, where am I now!
When was it, or how
That I fell from my heaven of grace!
I am brought into thrall,
I am stripped of my all,
I am banish’d from Jesus his face.
9. Hardly yet do I know
How I let my Lord go,
So insensibly starting aside,
When the tempter came in
With his own subtle sin,
And infected my spirit with pride.
10. But I felt it too soon,
That my Saviour was gone,
Swiftly vanishing out of my sight;
My triumph and boast
On a sudden were lost,
And my day it was turn’d into night.
11. Only pride could destroy
That innocent joy,
And make my Redeemer depart:
But what-e’er was the cause,
I lament the sad loss,
For the veil is come over my heart.
12. Ah! Wretch that I am!
I can only exclaim,
Like a devil tormented within,
My Savior is gone,
And has left me alone
To the fury of Satan and sin.
13. Nothing now can relieve,
Without comfort I grieve,
I have lost all my peace and my power:
No access do I find
To the friend of mankind;
I can ask for his mercy no more.
14. Tongue cannot declare
The torment I bear
(While no end of my troubles I see)
Only Adam could tell
On the day that he fell,
And was turn’d out of Eden like me.
15. Driven out from my God,
I wander abroad,
Through a desert of sorrows I rove;
And how great is my pain,
That I cannot regain
My Eden of Jesus his love!
16. I never shall rise
To my first paradise,
Or come my Redeemer to see:
But I feel a faint hope,
That at last he will stoop,
And his pity shall bring him to me.
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Methodist Pocket Hymnbook, Philadelphia, 1803
1. Oh! how happy are they
Who the Savior obey,
And have laid up their treasure above!
Tongue can never express
The sweet comfort and peace
Of a soul in its earliest love!
2. That sweet comfort was mine,
When the favor divine
I first found in the blood of the Lamb;
When my heart it believed,
What a joy I received,
What a heaven in Jesus's name!
3. Twas a heaven below,
My Redeemer to know ;
And the angels could do nothing more
Than to fall at his feet,
And the story repeat,
And the Lover of sinners adore.
4. Jesus all the day long
Was my joy and my song;
O that all his salvation might see!
He hath loved me, I cried,
He hath suffered and died,
To redeem such a rebel as me.
5. On the wings of his love,
I was carried above
All my sin, and temptation, and pain;
And I could not believe
That I ever should grieve,
That I ever should suffer again.
6. I then rode on the sky,
Freely justified, I,
Nor did envy Elijah his feat;
My glad soul mounted high
In a chariot of fire,
And the moon it was under my feet.
7. O! the rapturous height
Of that holy delight,
Which I felt in the life-giving blood!
Of my Savior possessed,
I was perfectly blessed,
As if filled with the fullness of God.
8. Ah! but where am I now
And why was it, or how,
That I fell from my heaven of grace?
I am brought into thrall;
1 am stripped of my All;
I am banished from Jesus's face!
9. Hardly yet do I know,
How I let my Lord go;
So insensibly started aside;
But the tempter came in,
With his own subtle sin.
And infected my spirit with pride.
10. Ah! I felt it too soon,
That my Savior was gone,
Swiftly vanishing out of my sight!
Then my triumph and boast
On a sudden were lost,
And my day it was turned into night.
11. Only pride could destroy
That sweet innocent joy,
And thus make my Redeemer depart:
But what-e'er was the cause,
I lament the sad loss,
For the veil is come over my heart.
12. Oh! how wretched I am!
I can only exclaim,
Like a devil tormented within!
My dear Savior is gone,
And has left me alone,
To the fury of Satan and sin!
13. Nothing now can relieve;
Without comfort I grieve;
I have lost all my peace and my power;
No access do I find
To the Friend of mankind;
I can ask for his mercy no more.
14. Now, no tongue can declare
The keen torment I bear,
While no end of my troubles I see;
Only Adam could tell,
On the day that he fell,
And was turned out of Eden like me.
15. Driven out from my God,
I now wander abroad;
Through a desert of sorrows I rove:
And how great is my pain,
That I cannot regain
My lost Eden of Jesus's love!
16. Ah! shall I ever rise
To my first paradise?
Ever come my Redeemer to see?
Yes, I feel a faint hope,
That at last he will stoop,
And his pity shall bring him to me.
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Broaddus, Dover Selection, 1831
1. How happy are they
Who the Savior obey,
And whose treasures are laid up above!
Tongue cannot express
The sweet comfort and peace
Of a soul in its earliest love.
2. That comfort was mine,
When the favor divine.
I first found in the blood of the Lamb;
When my heart first believed,
O! what joy I received :
What a heaven in Jesus's name!
3. Twas a heaven below,
The Redeemer to know,
And the angels could do nothing more
Than to fall at his feet,
And the story repeat,
And the Savior of sinners adore.
4. Jesus, all the day long,
Was my joy and my song;
Oh that all his salvation might see :
He hath loved me, I cried,
He hath suffered and died,
To redeem such a rebel as me.
5. On the wings of his love,
I was carried above
All sin, and temptation, and pain:
I could not believe
That I ever should grieve,
That I ever should suffer again.
6. I rode on the sky,
Freely justified I,
Nor envied Elijah his seat;
My soul mounted higher,
In a chariot of fire,
And the world was put under my feet.
7. O! the rapturous height
Of that holy delight,
Which I felt in the life-giving blood :
Of my Savior possessed,
I was perfectly blessed,
Overwhelmed with the fullness of God.
8. What a mercy is this
What a heaven of bliss:
How unspeakably favored am I?
Gathered into the fold,
With believers enrolled,
With believers to live and to die.
9. Now my remnant of days
Would I spend to his praise,
Who hath died my poor soul to redeem;
Whether many or few,
All my years are his due,
May they all be devoted to him.
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