Religion
A Prayer for Faith
Translated by John Wesley (1741) · From A Collection of Psalms and Hymns (1741) · Osborn ed., vol. 2 (1869)
Father, I stretch my hands to Thee,
No other help I know:
If Thou withdraw Thyself from me,
Ah! whither shall I go?
What did Thy only Son endure
Before I drew my breath!
What pain, what labour to secure
My soul from endless death!
O Jesu, could I this believe,
I now should feel Thy power;
Now my poor soul Thou wouldst retrieve,
Nor let me wait one hour.
Author of faith, to Thee I lift
My weary, longing eyes;
O, let me now receive that gift!
My soul without it dies.
Surely Thou canst not let me die!
O, speak, and I shall live!
And here I will unwearied lie,
Till Thou Thy Spirit give.
The worst of sinners would rejoice,
Could they but see Thy face:
O, let me hear Thy quickening voice,
And taste Thy pardoning grace.
Codex Note
Translated from the German; original author not identified in Osborn (Osborn queries Gottfried Arnold)
Cite this poem
MLA
Wesley, John. “A Prayer for Faith.” Translated by John Wesley. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/wesley_j/9/.
Chicago
Wesley, John. “A Prayer for Faith.” Translated by John Wesley. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/wesley_j/9/.
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