Ye Worms of Earth, Arise

HYMN II.

For New Year's Day

Words:  Charles Wesley, Hymns for New Years Day (Bristol: Felix Farley, 1750)

Source: Charles Osborne, ed., The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley. Volume 6. (London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1870), pp. 10-12.

1.
     Ye worms of earth, arise,
     Ye creatures of a day,
Redeem the time, be bold, be wise,
     And cast your bonds away;
     Shake off the chains of sin,
     Like us assembled here,
With hymns of praise to usher in
     The acceptable year.
     The year of gospel-grace
     Like us rejoice to see,
And thankfully in Christ embrace
     Your proffer'd liberty.
     Pardon and peace are nigh,
     Which every soul may prove;
The Lord, who now is passing by,
     Makes this the time of love.

2.
     Saviour and Lord of all,
     Thy proffer we receive,
Obedient to Thy gospel-call,
     That bids us turn and live;
     Our former years mis-spent,
     Though late, we deeply mourn,
And soften'd by Thy grace, repent,
     And to Thy arms return.
     With fear, and grief, and shame,
     Our folly we bemoan;
But wonder at the patient Lamb,
     Who lets us still alone:
     Thy patience lifts us up,
     Thy free unbounded grace,
And all our fear is lost in hope,
     And all our grief in praise.

3
     To Thee, by whom we live,
     Our praise and lives we pay,
Praise, ardent, cordial, constant give,*
     And shout to see the day:
     The day of saving grace,
     Thy consecrated year,
When the bright Sun of Righteousness
     Doth to our world appear.
     Risen, we know, Thou art,
     With healing in Thy wings,
We feel, we feel it in our heart
     The life Thy presence brings!
     The seal and earnest this,
     Our pardon we receive,
And look with Thee in glorious bliss
     Eternally to live.
 

Footnote by Rev. Wesley:

* Compare Young, "Night Thoughts," Night iv., line 341.

Editor's Note:

Rev. Wesley is referring to poem written in blank verse by Edward Young with the title “The Complaint: or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, & Immortality,” published in nine parts (nine “nights”) between 1742 and 1745. His specific reference is to Night Four, "The Christian Triumph," Line 341:
     “Praise ardent, cordial, constant, to high Heaven”

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