1 JESUS, accept the praise
That to thy name belongs;
Matter of all our lays,
Subject of all our songs:
Through thee we now together came,
And part exulting in thy name.
2 In flesh we part awhile,
But still in spirit joined,
To embrace the happy toil
Thou hast to each assigned;
And while we do thy blessed will,
We bear our heaven about us still.
3 O let us thus go on
In all thy pleasant ways,
And, armed with patience, run
With joy the appointed race!
Keep us, and every seeking soul,
Till all attain the heavenly goal.
4 There we shall meet again,
When all our toils are o'er,
And death, and grief, and pain,
And parting are no more;
We shall with all our brethren rise,
And grasp thee in the flaming skies.
5 O happy, happy day,
That calls thy exiles home!
The heavens shall pass away,
The earth receive its doom;
Earth we shall view, and heaven destroyed
And shout above the fiery void.
6 These eyes shall see them fall,
Mountains, and stars, and skies!
These eyes shall see them all
Out of their ashes rise!
These lips his praises shall rehearse,
Whose nod restores the universe.
7 According to his word,
His oath to sinners given,
We look to see restored
The ruined earth and heaven!
In a new world his truth to prove.
A world of righteousness and love.
8 Then let us wait the sound
That shall our souls release,
And labour to be found
Of him in spotless peace,
In perfect holiness renewed,
Adorned with Christ, and meet for God.
Jesus, Accept The Praise
Jesus, Accept The Praise Song Meaning, Biblical Reference and Inspiration
This hymn, "Jesus, Accept The Praise," penned by the prolific Charles Wesley, is a powerful expression of communal worship, present spiritual unity, future hope, and eschatological vision within the Christian faith. Written in Wesley's characteristic style, it flows with fervent devotion and theological depth, suitable for both gathering and parting, reflecting the continuous journey of believers. While recordings and performances, such as one released in 2008, help bring this historic text to contemporary audiences, the enduring power lies in Wesley's original words themselves.
The opening stanza establishes the hymn's purpose: directing all praise, songs, and lays to Jesus. It speaks to the experience of believers gathering and then parting, but doing so "in his name," suggesting that Christ is the center of their coming together and their departure, providing a unifying bond and a source of exultation regardless of physical proximity. This sets the tone for a reflection on both present reality and future aspiration grounded in faith.
The second stanza addresses the temporary nature of physical separation ("In flesh we part awhile") contrasted with the permanence of their spiritual connection ("but still in spirit joined"). It introduces the concept of the "happy toil" assigned by Christ, framing the work each believer is called to as a source of joy. Crucially, it asserts that while carrying out God's will, believers experience a foretaste of heaven, bearing their "heaven about us still," implying that true spiritual life and purpose bring an immediate sense of divine presence and blessedness.
Building on the theme of the Christian journey, the third stanza becomes a prayer for perseverance. It asks to "go on in all thy pleasant ways," acknowledging that the path set by Christ is ultimately good, even if challenging. The call to be "armed with patience" and to "run with joy the appointed race" directly echoes New Testament imagery (Hebrews 12:1, 1 Corinthians 9:24). The plea extends beyond the immediate group to include "every seeking soul," asking for divine keeping until "all attain the heavenly goal," emphasizing the collective hope of salvation and eternal life.
The subsequent stanzas shift focus dramatically to the ultimate future hope. Stanza four vividly anticipates the reunion "There we shall meet again" in heaven, "when all our toils are o'er." It paints a picture of release from earthly suffering – "death, and grief, and pain, and parting are no more" (Revelation 21:4). The profound hope is not just reunion with fellow believers who will "rise," but the direct encounter with Christ, described as grasping him "in the flaming skies" at his return.
The final stanzas present a sweeping, dramatic vision of the end times and the renewal of creation, drawing heavily on biblical prophecy (2 Peter 3:10-13, Revelation 21:1). Stanza five calls the day of Christ's return a "happy, happy day," the moment when Christ calls his "exiles home." It describes the passing away of the present heavens and earth receiving their "doom," with believers standing triumphant, able to "view, and heaven destroyed And shout above the fiery void." Stanza six continues this powerful imagery, stating that the eyes of believers will witness the old creation – "Mountains, and stars, and skies" – fall, and then witness them rise again from ashes. The ultimate declaration is that these lips will rehearse the praises of Christ, whose simple "nod restores the universe."
Stanza seven grounds this astonishing vision in God's faithfulness, stating it is "According to his word, His oath to sinners given." It looks forward to seeing "restored The ruined earth and heaven," not just a destruction but a recreation. This new world is characterized by God's truth and is explicitly defined as "A world of righteousness and love" (2 Peter 3:13), providing a clear moral and relational contrast to the present fallen world.
The hymn concludes in stanza eight with a practical exhortation stemming from this future hope. It calls believers to "wait the sound That shall our souls release," referencing the trumpet call at Christ's return (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The imperative is to actively "labour to be found Of him in spotless peace." This is a call to diligent effort in pursuing holiness ("In perfect holiness renewed"), not through self-effort alone, but by being "Adorned with Christ," prepared and made "meet for God" (Colossians 1:12), ready for eternal fellowship in His presence. The hymn thus moves from present praise and journey to future glory and a final call to readiness.
