Verse 1
Thanks be to God alone
Thro’ Jesus Christ his Son!
He who hath for all obtain’d,
Gives our friend the victory;
Sister, thou the prize hast gain’d,
Died for him who died for thee.
Verse 2
The mortal hour is past,
Thou hast o’ercome at last,
Freed from pain, for ever freed,
Ended is thy glorious strife,
Death, the latest foe, is dead,
Death is swallow’d up of life.
Verse 3
Thy[1] lamb-like innocence
Is soon departed hence,
From the world of sin and pain
Thou art clean escap’d away,
Sav’d from sin’s infectious stain,
Taken from the evil day.
Verse 4
Stranger to guilty fears
Thou liv’d’st thy twenty years,
From the great transgression free;
Never did the poison spread,
Jesus, e’er it rose in thee,
Jesus crush’d the serpent’s head.
Verse 5
His Spirit’s gentlest art
Open’d thy simple heart,
The eternal gospel-word,
Lydia-like thou didst receive,
Fall before thy bleeding Lord,
Own him, and with ease believe.
Verse 6
Soon as thy heart did feel
The pardon-stamping seal,
Heard thy soul the warning cry,
“Here thou hast not long to stay,
Rise, my love, make haste to die,
Rise, my love, and come away!”
Verse 7
Thy chearful soul obey’d,
Thro’ sufferings[2] perfect made,
Perfect made in a short space,
Thy resign’d, and Christ-like soul,
Started forth, and won the race,
Reach’d at once the glorious goal.
Verse 8
Aloft the spirit flies,
And gains her native skies!
Kindred souls salute her there,
Springing from their[3] azure throne,
All in shouts their joy declare,
All their new-born sister own.
Verse 9
Th’ angelic army sings,
And clap their golden wings!
Harping with their harps they praise
Him, thro’ whom she all o’ercame,
Sharer of his richest grace,
Closest follower of the Lamb.
Verse 10
From love’s soft witchcraft free
Her spotless purity
Liv’d to only Christ below;
Higher now she reigns above,
Mightier joys advanc’d to know,
Honour’d with his choicest love.
Verse 11
Among the morning-stars
A brighter crown she wears,
With peculiar glories grac’d,
Seated on a loftier throne,
To superior raptures rais’d,
Nearest God’s eternal Son.
Verse 12
Mixt with the virgin-train
She charms th’ etherial plain,
With the Lamb for ever found;
Angels listen while she sings,
Catch th’ inimitable sound,
Music for the King of kings.
Verse 13
O happy happy soul,
Thy heavenly joy is full!
Thee the Lamb hath made his bride,
Call’d thee to his feast above,
Thee he now hath glorified,
Taught thee the new song of love.
Verse 14
O that at last ev’n I,
Like thee might sweetly die!
Die, and leave a[4] world of woe,
Die out of the reach of sin,
Die the joys of heaven to know;
Open, Lord, and take me in!
Verse 15
Give me thy bliss to share,
The meanest spirit there,
Only let me see thy face,
See with thee my happier friend,
At an awful distance gaze,
Taste the joys that never end.
Verse 16
Thou wilt cut short my years,
And wipe away my tears:
Lo! I wait thy leizure still,
Humbly at thy footstool lie,
Calm to suffer all thy will,
Glad in thee to live and die.
[1] Wesley changed “Thy” to “The” in 1753.
[2] Wesley changed “sufferings” to “suffering” in 1746.
[3] Wesley changed “their” to “the” in 1753.
[4] Wesley changed “a” to “the” in 1770.