Scripture Verse

I have called you friends. John 15:15

Introduction

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns for Our Lord’s Re­sur­rect­ion (Lon­don: W. Stra­han, 1746), num­ber 4.

Music: Ab­er­deen pos­si­bly by An­drew Tait, in James Chal­mers’ un­ti­tled col­le­ction, 1749. Me­lo­dy from Ru­di­ments of Mu­sic, by Ro­bert Brem­ner, 1756 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Lyrics

illustration
Ascension of Christ
Pietro Perugino, 1497

Jesus, the ris­ing Lord of all,
His love to man com­mends,
Poor worms He blush­es not to call
His breth­ren and His friends.

Who base­ly all for­sook their Lord
In His dis­tress, and fled,
To these He sends the joy­ful word,
When ris­en from the dead.

“Go tell the vile de­sert­ers!—No:
My dear­est breth­ren tell,
Their ad­vo­cate to Heav’n I go,
To res­cue them from hell.

“Lo! to My Fa­ther I as­cend!
Your Fa­ther now is He,
My God, and yours, whoe’er de­pend
For end­less life on Me.

“Henceforth I ev­er live above
For you to in­ter­cede,
The mer­it of My dy­ing love,
For all man­kind to plead.

Sinners, I rose again to show
Your sins are all for­giv’n,
And mount above the skies, that you
May fol­low Me to Heav’n.