Wednesday with the Wesleys

Charles Wesley's house - Bristol, Avon, UK

Wisdom ascribe, and might, and praise to God, who lengthens out our days, who spares us yet another year, and lets us see his goodness here; happy, and wise, the time redeem, and live, my friends, and die to him. 

How often, when his arm was bared, hath he our sinful Israel spared! Let them alone his mercy cried, and turned the vengeful bolt aside, indulged another kind reprieve, and strangely suffered us to live. 

Laid to the root with conscious awe, but now the threat’ning axe we saw, we saw, when Jesus stepped between, to part the punishment and sin, he pleaded for the blood-bought race, And God vouchsafed a longer space! 

Still in the doubtful balance weighed we trembled, while the remnant prayed: The Father heard his Spirit groan, and answered mild it is my Son! He let the prayer of faith prevail, and mercy turned the hovering scale. 

Merciful God, how shall we raise our hearts to pay thee all thy praise? Our hearts shall beat for thee alone, our lives shall make thy goodness known, our souls and bodies shall be thine, A living sacrifice divine. 

I and my house will serve the Lord, led by the Spirit, and the word; We plight our faith, assembled here, to serve our God th’ ensuing year, and vow, when time shall be no more, through all eternity t’ adore.

- Charles Wesley, New Year’s Hymns (1749)