He hath at last his heart’s desire,
Who did above the rest aspire
To sit with Jesus on the throne:
First of the twelve, he drinks the cup,
He fills his Lord’s afflictions up,
Baptiz’d with God’s expiring Son:
Ambitious of the foremost place
He all outruns, and wins the race,
With strength from Jesus’ cross supplied:
He dies; and sits triumphant down
Distinguish’d by a brighter crown,
And nearest to his Saviour’s side!
He hath at last his heart’s desire
Hymnal/Album: Originally titled: “‘And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.’—[Acts 12,] v. 2.” This hymn appears in the 1764 manuscript “MS Acts.” This manuscript is part of the collection of the Methodist Archive and Research Centre in The John Rylands Library, The University of Manchester (accession number MA 1977/555, Charles Wesley Notebooks Box 1). Accessed through the website of The Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition, Duke Divinity School. Published in The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley, Collected and Arranged by G. Osborn, Vol. 12 (London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1871), page 263.
Publishing: Public Domain