Religion

Angels, rejoice in Jesus' grace

by Charles Wesley 1707–1788

From Hymns for Ascension-Day (1746) · Osborn ed., vol. 4 (1869)

Religion

Angels, rejoice in Jesus' grace,
And vie with man's more favour'd race,
The blood that did for us atone
Conferr'd on you some gift unknown,
Your joys through Jesus' pains abound,
Ye triumph by His glorious wound.

Or stablish'd and confirm'd by Him
Who did our lower world redeem,
Secure ye keep your blest estate
Firm on an everlasting seat -,
Or raised above yourselves, aspire,
In bliss improved, in glory higher.

Him ye beheld, our conquering God,
Return with garments roll'd in blood!
Ye saw, and kindled at the sight,
And fill'd with shouts the realms of light,
With loudest hallelujahs met,
And fell and kiss'd His bleeding feet.

Ye saw Him in the courts above
With all His recent prints of love:
The wounds, the blood! ye heard its voice
That heighten'd all your highest joys,
Ye felt it sprinkled through the skies,
And shared that better sacrifice.

But who of all your hosts can tell
The mystic bliss unspeakable,
The joy that issued from His side,
And how the pure it purified,
The grace supreme by Jesus given,
When heaven itself was double heaven?

Nor angel tongues can e'er express
The' unutterable happiness,
Nor human hearts can e'er conceive
The bliss wherein through Christ ye live,
But all your heaven, ye glorious powers,
And all your God is doubly ours!

✦ ✦ ✦

Attributed to Charles Wesley; Osborn's edition does not distinguish the brothers

MLA

Wesley, Charles. “Angels, rejoice in Jesus' grace.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/wesley_c/728/.

Chicago

Wesley, Charles. “Angels, rejoice in Jesus' grace.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/wesley_c/728/.

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