"Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast" by Charles Wesley

Wesley, Charles. "Hymn L. The Great Supper." Hymns for Those that Seek and Those that have Redemption in the Blood of Jesus Christ. London: Strahan, 1747. p. 63-66. Accessed through The Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition, Duke Divinity School.

"Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast" performed by Rev. Clyde McLennan, www.smallchurchmusic3.com.
Non-commercial use of these recordings is permitted.

"The Invitaton Is To All"

Read a devotion about this great hymn!

Image by Kathryn Price, United Methdosit Communications.

Hymn L.
The Great Supper,
Luke xiv. 16–24.⁷⁹
To: "Awake, Jerusalem, awake."

Come, sinners, to the gospel-feast,
Let every soul be Jesu's guest,
You need not one be left behind,
For God hath bidden all mankind.
Sent by my Lord, on you I call,
The invitation is to all.
Come all the world: come, sinner, thou,
All things in Christ are ready now.
Jesus to you his fulness brings,
A feast of marrow, and fat things:
All, all in Christ is freely given,
Pardon, and holiness, and heaven.
Do not begin to make excuse,
Ah! Do not you his grace refuse;
Your worldly cares and pleasures leave,
And take what Jesus hath to give.
Your grounds forsake, your oxen quit,
Your every earthly thought forget,
Seek not the comforts of this life,
Nor sell your Saviour for a wife.
"Have me excus'd" why will ye say?
Why will ye for damnation pray?
Have you excus'd—from joy and peace!
Have you excus'd—from happiness!
Excus'd from coming to a feast!
Excus'd from being Jesu's guest!
From knowing now your sins forgiven,
From tasting here the joys of heaven!
Excus'd, alas! Why should ye⁸⁰ be
From health, and life, and liberty,
From entring into glorious rest,
From leaning on your Saviour's breast.
Yet must I, Lord, to thee complain,
The world hath made thy offers vain,
Too busy, or too happy they,
They will not, Lord, thy call obey.
Go then, my angry Master said,
Since these on all my mercies tread,
Invite the rich and great no more,
But preach my gospel to the poor.
Confer not thou with flesh and blood,
Go quickly forth, invite the croud,
Search every lane, and every street,
And bring in all the souls you meet.
Come then ye souls, by sin opprest,
Ye restless wanderers after rest,
Ye poor, and maim'd, and halt, and blind,
In Christ an⁸¹hearty welcome find.
Sinners my gracious Lord receives,
Harlots, and publicans, and thieves,
Drunkards, and all the⁸² hellish crew,
I have a message now to you.
Come, and partake the gospel-feast,
Be sav'd from sin, in Jesus rest:
O taste the goodness of our God,
And eat his flesh, and drink his blood.
'Tis done; my all-redeeming Lord,
I have gone forth, and preach'd thy⁸³ word,
The sinners to thy feast are come,
And yet, O Saviour, there is room.
Go then, my Lord, again injoin'd,
And other wand'ring sinners find,
Go to the hedges, and highways,
And offer all my pard'ning grace.
The worst unto my supper press,
Monsters of daring wickedness,
Tell them, my grace for all is free,
They cannot be too bad for me.
Tell them, their sins are all forgiven,
Tell every creature under heaven,
I died to save them from all sin,
And force the vagrants to come in.
Ye vagrant souls, on you I call,<
(O that my voice could reach you all)
Ye all are freely justified,
Ye all may live, for God⁸⁴ hath died.
My message as from God receive
Ye all may come to Christ, and live:
O let his love your hearts constrain,
Nor suffer him to die in vain.
His love is mighty to compell,
His conqu'ring love consent to feel,
Yield to his love's resistless power,
And fight against your God no more.
See him set forth before your eyes,
Behold the bleeding sacrifice!
His offer'd love make haste t' embrace,
And freely now be sav'd by grace.
Ye who believe his record true.
Shall sup with him, and he with you:
Come to the feast; be sav'd from sin,
For Jesus waits to take you in.
This is the time, no more delay,
This is the acceptable day,
Come in, this moment, at his call,
And live for him who died for all.