Where shall my wondering soul begin?

Verse 1
Where shall my wond’ring soul begin?
How shall I all to heaven aspire?
A slave redeem’d from death and sin, (Hos. 13:14, Rom. 6:17-18, Rom. 8:2)
A brand pluck’d from eternal fire, (Amos 4:11, Zech. 3:2)
How shall I equal triumphs raise,
And sing my great Deliverer’s praise!

Verse 2
O how shall I the goodness tell,
Father, which thou to me hast show’d,
That I, a child of wrath, and hell, (Eph. 2:3)
I should be call’d a child of God![1] (John 1:12, Rom. 8:16, Gal. 3:26, I John 3:1)
Should know, should feel my sins forgiven,
Blest with this antepast of heaven!

Verse 3
And shall I slight my Father’s love,
Or basely fear his gifts to own?
Unmindful of his favours prove?
Shall I the hallow’d cross to shun
Refuse his righteousness t’ impart (Ps. 40:10)
By hiding it within my heart?

Verse 4
No—tho’ the antient dragon rage
And call forth all his hosts[2] to war, (Rev. 12:7, Rev. 12:17)
Tho’ earth’s self-righteous sons engage; (Luke 18:9, Rom. 10:3)
Them, and their god alike I dare:
Jesus the sinner’s friend proclaim, (Matt. 11:19, Luke 7:34)
Jesus, to sinners still the same.

Verse 5
Outcasts of men, to you I call,
Harlots and publicans, and thieves! (Matt. 9:10-13, Matt. 21:31-32, Mark 2:15-17, Luke 5:29-32, Luke 15:1-2, Luke 23:39-43)
He spreads his arms t’ embrace you all; (Isa. 65:2, Luke 15:20, Rom. 10:21)
Sinners alone his grace receives: (Luke 15:2)
No need of him the righteous have, (Matt. 9:12-13, Mark 2:17, Luke 5:31-32)
He came the lost to seek and save! (Matt. 18:11, Luke 19:10, I Tim. 1:15)

Verse 6
Come all ye Magdalens in lust,
Ye ruffians fell in murders old;
Repent, and live: despair and trust! (Ezek. 18:30-32, Ezek. 33:11)
Jesus for you to death was sold; (Matt. 26:14-16)
Tho’ hell protest, and earth repine,
He died for crimes like yours—and mine. (Isa. 53:5-6, Rom. 5:8, I Cor. 15:3)

Verse 7
Come O my guilty brethren come,
Groaning beneath your load of sin! (Ps. 38:4)
His bleeding heart shall make you room,
His open side shall take you in. (John 19:34, John 20:27)
He calls you now, invites you home—
Come, O my guilty brethren, come!

Verse 8
For you the purple current flow’d
In pardons from his wounded side: (Zech. 13:1, John 19:34)
Languish’d for you th’ eternal God, (Phil. 2:6-8)
For you the Prince of Glory dy’d. (Acts 3:15, I Cor. 2:8)
Believe; and all your guilt’s[3] forgiven,
Only believe—and yours is heaven. (Mark 5:36, Luke 8:50, John 3:16)

[1] Wesley changed this to “Should now be called a child of God” in 1761.
[2] Wesley changed “hosts” to “host” in 1743.
[3] Wesley changed “guilt’s” to “sin’s” in 1743.