The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Wesley, Charles (1707-1788)

VOLUME I.

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

HYMNS FOR THE USE OF FAMILIES, AND ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS. By CHARLES WESLEY, M.A., Late Student of Christ-Church.

HYMNS ON THE TRINITY.

The Divinity of Christ.

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

XV.

XVI.

XVII.

XVIII.

XIX.

XX.

XXI.

XXII.

XXIII.

XXIV.

XXV.

XXVI.

XXVII.

XXVIII.

XXIX.

XXX.

XXXI.

XXXII.

XXXIII.

XXXIV.

XXXV.

XXXVI.

XXXVII.

XXXVIII.

XXXIX.

XL.

XLI.

XLII.

XLIII.

XLIV.

XLV.

XLVI.

XLVII.

XLVIII.

XLIX.

LI.

LII.

LIII.

LIV.

LV.

LVI.

LVII.

The Divinity of the Holy Ghost.

The Plurality and Trinity of Persons.

The Trinity in Unity.

HYMNS and PRAYERS TO THE TRINITY.

PREPARATION FOR DEATH, IN SEVERAL HYMNS.

AN ELEGY ON THE LATE REVEREND George Whitefield, M.A.,

VIII.

IX.

XI.

XII.

XIII.

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462

[IN TEMPTATION.]

C. IN TEMPTATION.

Hymn 1.

Jesu help! Thou Sinner's Friend,
On Thee for help I call,
Send me speedy succour, send,
Or into hell I fall;
Now, even now Thine aid afford,
In pity to a sinner's cries,
Save me, or I perish, Lord,
My soul for ever dies.

See me in my last distress,
And run to rescue me,
Speak to all my passions peace,
O calm the troubled sea;
All my sin's abyss is stirr'd,
And high as heaven the billows rise;
Save me, &c.

Yes, without Thy help I must
Be swallow'd up in sin,
Lost I am, undone, and lost,
I have my hell within;
Self-condemn'd and self-abhorr'd,
I sink in dying agonies;
Save me, &c.

Dies a never-dying death,
If Thou Thy help delay,
Yawns the fiery gulf beneath,
And hell expects its prey,
Tophet is my just reward,
And always meets my blasted eyes;
Save me, &c.

463

Jesu, save me through Thy name,
No other hope I have,
Damn'd, for ever damn'd I am,
If Thou refuse to save;
But my trust is in Thy word,
On that alone my soul relies;
Save me, &c.

Helper of the helpless Thou,
The friendless sinner's Friend,
Lord, on Thee I surely now,
On Thee alone depend.
Wilt Thou suffer me to die,
Abandon'd in my last distress?
Jesus, answer to my cry,
And bid me go in peace.

Wilt Thou bid a sinner seek
Thy lovely face in vain?
Speak, the word of comfort speak,
And look me out of pain:
Bring Thy great salvation nigh,
My soul from inbred sin release;
Jesu, answer to my cry,
And bid me go in peace.

Blest for ever be the name
Of my redeeming Lord!
Lifted up once more I am,
I hear the pardoning word;
He could not Himself deny,
He gives my burden'd conscience ease,
Jesus answers to my cry,
And bids me go in peace.

464

CI. THE SAME.

Hymn 2.

[Jesu, go not far from me]

Jesu, go not far from me,
For sin is hard at hand,
I have none to help but Thee,
Enable me to stand.
Hear out of the deep my cry,
And help me now as heretofore;
Save me, save me, or I die,
I fall to rise no more.

God of my salvation, hear,
In this my time of need;
See the day of battle near,
And screen my naked head;
Send me succour from on high,
And hide me till the storm is o'er;
Save me, &c.

Thou hast oft my refuge been,
And Thou art still the same;
Snatch me from the jaws of sin,
O quench the violent flame,
Bring Thy great salvation nigh,
Stir up Thine interposing power,
Save me, &c.

Help on Thee, Thou mighty One,
For all mankind is laid;
Let it now on me be shown,
Be Thou my present aid,
O come quickly, and stand by
My soul throughout the trying hour;
Save me, &c.

465

Help me now, but let me still
My want of help confess,
Hang upon Thy arm, and feel
My utter helplessness;
Only this be all my cry,
Till Thou my ruin'd soul restore;
Save me, save me, or I die,
I fall to rise no more.

CII. THE SAME.

Hymn 3.

[Help, O help, my great Creator]

Help, O help, my great Creator,
Love the soul Thyself hast made,
Burden'd with a sinful nature
Let me still on Thee be stay'd:
What I have to Thee commended,
Saviour, wilt Thou not secure,
Till the fiery trial's ended,
Till I as my God am pure?

Hear my earnest supplication,
Keep me in this evil day;
With me in my strong temptation
O my kind Protector, stay.
I have no one to deliver,
No one to defend I have,
Ruin'd, and undone for ever,
If my Lord refuse to save.

But it is Thy gracious pleasure
To redeem me from all sin;
Only let me wait Thy leisure,
Till Thou bring Thy kingdom in:

466

Pray, and serve Thee without ceasing,
Till the perfect grace I prove,
Bless'd with all the gospel blessing,
Fill'd with all the life of love.

Hear in this accepted hour,
Speak, and bid the sun stand still,
Give me now the constant power
Over my own carnal will;
Stronger wax Thy love and stronger,
Let my bosom sin give place,
Let the elder serve the younger,
Nature yield to sovereign grace.

CIII. THE SAME.

Hymn 4.

[Jesus, God of my salvation]

Jesus, God of my salvation,
Send the promised help I claim,
Bring me through my sore temptation,
Manifest Thy saving name:
Art Thou not the same for ever?
Do not I on Thee depend?
O continue to deliver,
Save me, save me to the end.

From Thy feeble helpless creature
Never, never, Lord, depart,
Show Thyself than Satan greater,
Greater than my evil heart:
If the fiend must vex me longer,
Buffet still my trembling soul,
Jesu, show Thyself the stronger,
Keep me, till Thou makest me whole.

467

Let me, while my faith is trying,
Rest in Thy atoning blood,
Always bear about the dying
Of my great redeeming God;
Till I all Thy life inherit,
Let me in Thy wounds abide,
Shelter there my weary spirit;
Save me, who for me hast died.

CIV. THE SAME.

Hymn 5.

[How oft shall I beseech Thee, Lord]

How oft shall I beseech Thee, Lord,
How oft in anguish pray,
Be mindful of Thy promise-word,
And take my sin away?

The thorn which in my flesh I feel,
O bid it hence depart,
This inbred messenger of hell
Command him from my heart.

These cruel buffetings of sin
I can no longer bear,
I sink beneath this war within,
And perish in despair.

O save me, save me from this hour,
The dying sinner save,
Nor let the greedy pit devour,
Nor let me see the grave.

The grave of hell stands open wide
To swallow up its prey;
Jesu, preserve my soul, and hide,
Throughout the evil day.

468

O send me from Thy holy place
The help laid up on Thee,
Assure me that Thy saving grace
Sufficient is for me.

Sufficient to restrain from sin,
While fierce temptations last,
To save me from the storm within,
Till all the storm is past.

Is not Thy power divinely shown
In man's infirmity?
Make all Thy great salvation known,
Perfect Thy strength in me.

A weaker worm did never yet
Thy promised aid implore,
O hide me from the storm and heat,
Till sin subsists no more.

Safe in the lions' den I lie,
If Thou their rage restrain;
I pass through floods, if Thou art nigh,
And in the flames remain.

Unhurt I bear the fiery test,
And in the furnace shine,
That upon me the power may rest,
The power of love Divine.

Surely I shall as gold come forth,
When Thou my faith hast tried,
Transform'd into my Saviour's worth,
And seven times purified.

A sinner now undone and lost
My misery I confess;
I own it all, yet gladly boast
Of my own helplessness.

469

The God who doth from sin restrain
Shall soon His arm display;
His presence shall with me remain,
The glorious Shechinah.

Jesus shall pitch His tent in me,
And never more remove,
And I shall as my Master be,
Renew'd in spotless love.

Sure as I now His cross sustain,
I soon His crown shall wear,
The glory of my Lord obtain,
And reign for ever there.

CV. THE SAME.

Hymn 6.

[O God, Thy faithfulness I plead]

O God, Thy faithfulness I plead,
My present help in time of need,
My great Deliverer Thou;
Haste to mine aid, Thine ear incline,
And rescue this poor soul of mine,
I claim the promise now.

Thou wilt not leave me in the snare,
Tempted above what I can bear,
With no salvation nigh:
I may escape, Thou say'st I may;
I need not fall the tempter's prey,
I need not sin, and die.

For Thy own truth, and mercy sake,
Thou wilt with the temptation make
A way to' escape the sin:
Thou wilt in danger's latest hour
Show forth the greatness of Thy power,
And bring Thy succours in.

470

Where is the way? Ah! show me where?
That I the mercy may declare,
The power that sets me free:
How can I my destruction shun?
How can I from my nature run?
Answer, O God, for me.

One only way the erring mind
Of man, short-sighted man, could find
From inbred sin to fly;
Stronger than love (I fondly thought)
Death, only death, must cut the knot
Which love could not untie.

But Thou, my Lord, art rich in grace,
Thy love can find a thousand ways,
To foolish man unknown;
My soul upon Thy love I cast,
I rest me, till the storm is past,
Upon Thy love alone.

Thy faithful, wise, and mighty love
Shall every obstacle remove,
And make an open way;
Thy love shall burst the shades of death,
And bear me from the gulf beneath
To everlasting day.

Lord, I believe Thee true and good,
My only trust is in Thy blood;
I hear it speak for me;
And if my soul is in Thy hands,
And if Thy word for ever stands,
I shall not fall from Thee.

471

CVI. THE SAME.

Hymn 7.

[To whom but Thee, Thou bleeding Lamb]

To whom but Thee, Thou bleeding Lamb,
Should I for help apply?
Still in the toils of death I am,
And sin is always nigh.

But Thou, my Lord, art nigher still
Throughout the fiery hour,
To rescue me from my own will,
Till I can sin no more.

O were Thy sufferings on the tree
Into my soul brought in!
O that Thy death might work in me
A perfect death to sin!

Me to Thy suffering self conform,
The mortal power impart,
Pity a poor, weak, labouring worm,
And wash my guilty heart.

Thou know'st on works, and means, and men,
No longer I rely,
I never, never can be clean
Till Thou Thy blood apply.

My only trust is in Thy blood,
Which purges every stain:
Bring in, O Lord, the purer flood,
Nor let me ask in vain.

Faith in Thy blood, Thou seest, I have,
For Thou the grace hast given;
Thy blood from all my sin shall save,
And speak me up to heaven.

472

Thy blood shall quench this fire of hell,
Which now I feel within,
Thy blood my sin-sick soul shall heal,
And wash out all my sin.

In hope believing against hope
Till then I look to Thee;
I see Thee, Saviour, lifted up
For all mankind and me.

Determined nothing else to know,
But Jesus crucified,
I cannot from my Jesus go,
Or leave Thy wounded side.

Thou wilt not let me hence depart,
Till all Thy death I prove,
Redeem'd from sin, and pure in heart,
And perfected in love.

The anchor of my steadfast hope
Within the veil I cast;
Thy dying love shall hold me up,
Till all the storms are past.

Only because Thou diedst for me
I trust on this alone,
And look in life and death to be
With Thee for ever one.

CVII. THE SAME.

Hymn 8.

[O God of love, to whom I pray]

O God of love, to whom I pray,
Wilt Thou let me fall away
And lose Thy mercies past?
Must I in vain for pardon cry,
And perish in my sins, and die,
Die, in my sins at last?

473

Were this Thy will concerning me,
Wherefore have I follow'd Thee,
And long'd Thy love to know?
Why hast Thou from my earliest days
Allured my soul to seek Thy face,
If made for endless woe?

Why did Thy providential power
Interpose in danger's hour,
And still the victim save?
So oft the mortal fever chide,
And turn the dart of death aside,
And mock the gaping grave?

Why didst Thou in my youthful age
Rescue me from passion's rage,
And every dire offence?
Why didst Thou hide from worldly cares,
And keep in twice ten thousand snares
My heedless innocence?

Why didst Thou gently draw me on,
Till I sunk despairing down
In legal misery?
And cried, by the commandment slain,
Ah! woe is me, a wretched man,
What hope of heaven for me!

Why didst Thou, Lord, my load remove,
Show me Thy forgiving love,
And speak me justified?
If Thou hast pleasure in my death,
I had long since resign'd my breath;
I had in Egypt died.

474

When I had forfeited my peace,
Why in my extreme distress
Was I so often heard?
Thou brought'st the timely succours in,
And savedst my tempted soul from sin,
The sin I loved, and fear'd.

Why hast Thou to Thy people join'd
Me, the vilest of mankind,
In cordial charity?
Why hast Thou heard Thy Spirit's groans
Entreating in Thy chosen ones
For me, O God, for me?

Wouldst Thou have stirr'd them up to pray
For an hopeless castaway,
If such, alas! I am?
If I must perish in my blood,
Wrestle for me they never could,
Or ask in Jesu's name.

A drop of love's eternal sea
Is their kind concern for me;
As such I must receive
This token of my Father's grace,
His heart o'erflows with tenderness,
And God would have me live.

Me, Lord, Thou never wilt forsake,
Never let my soul turn back,
To live the life of sense;
To bring dishonour on Thy name,
But save me first from all my shame,
And snatch my spirit hence.

475

I feel, I now divinely feel,
Thou, O Lord, art with me still,
And with me wilt abide:
Till life's extremest ills are past,
And I obtain a lot at last
With all the glorified.

CVIII. THE SAME.

Hymn 9.

[Ah! tell me, Lord, for whom I pine]

Ah! tell me, Lord, for whom I pine,
And mourn in deep distress,
How long shall this weak heart incline
To its own wickedness?
How long shall I my nature fear,
Yet what I loathe desire,
And melt at the temptation near
As wax before the fire?

Thou know'st the undissembled pain
The real grief I feel,
While dark and trembling I remain
As on the verge of hell.
I groan to feel my heart relent,
By sin almost subdued,
And blush to find I could consent
To grieve my gracious God.

My gracious God, how shall I shun
This enemy within?
Out of myself I cannot run,
To' escape my bosom sin?
I fear in some unguarded hour
Lest it my soul betray,
And give me up to Satan's power
An unresisting prey.

476

O that Thou wouldst stretch out Thine hand;
By this weak, sinking soul,
In every close temptation stand,
And all my lusts control.
The strength of saving grace above
My nature's strength exert,
Thou God of all-victorious love,
Thou greater than my heart.

O that Thou wouldst root out the thorn,
Destroy the enmity,
Set me a time for Thy return,
And then remember me.
Contract, or lengthen out my years,
But till they all are past,
Preserve me from my sins and fears,
But fully save at last.

CIX. THE SAME.

Hymn 10.

[Help, Lord, to whom for help I fly]

Help, Lord, to whom for help I fly,
And still my tempted soul stand by,
Throughout this evil day;
The sacred watchfulness impart,
And keep the issues of my heart,
And stir me up to pray.

My soul with Thy whole armour arm,
In each approach of sin alarm,
And show the danger near;
Surround, sustain, and strengthen me,
And fill with godly jealousy,
And sanctifying fear.

477

Whene'er my feeble hands hang down,
O let me see Thy gathering frown,
And feel Thy warning eye;
And starting cry from ruin's brink,
Save, Jesus, or I yield, I sink,
O save me, or I die.

If near the pit I rashly stay,
Before I wholly fall away,
The keen conviction dart;
Recall me with that pitying look,
That kind upbraiding glance, which broke
Unfaithful Peter's heart.

In me Thine utmost mercy show,
And make me as Thyself below,
Unblamable in grace;
Ready prepared, and fitted here
By perfect holiness to' appear
Before Thy glorious face.

CX. THE SAME.

Hymn 11.

[O how shall a sinner perform]

O how shall a sinner perform
The vows he hath vow'd to the Lord?
A sinful and impotent worm,
How can I be true to my word?
I tremble at what I have done,
But look for my help from above,
The power that I never have known,
The virtue of Jesus's love.

My solemn engagements are vain,
My promises empty as air,
My vows I shall break them again,
And plunge in eternal despair;

478

Unless my omnipotent God
The sense of His goodness impart,
And shed by His Spirit abroad
That love of Himself in my heart.

O Lover of sinners, extend
To me the affectionate grace,
Appear my affliction to end,
Afford me a glimpse of Thy face:
The sight shall enkindle in me
A flame of reciprocal love,
And then I shall cleave unto Thee,
And then I shall never remove.

O come to a mourner in pain,
Thy peace to my conscience reveal,
And then I shall love Thee again,
And sing of the goodness I feel;
Constrain'd by the grace of my Lord,
My soul shall in all things obey,
And wait to be fully restored,
And long to be summon'd away.

CXI. THE SAME.

Hymn 12.

[Glory to the righteous God]

Glory to the righteous God,
Righteous, yet benign to me!
Still in His paternal rod
His paternal love I see:
Let Him tenderly chastise,
Let Him graciously reprove,
Father, all within me cries
All Thy ways are truth and love.

479

Humbled in the lowest deep,
Thee I for my sufferings bless;
Think of all Thy love, and weep
For my own unfaithfulness:
I have most rebellious been,
Thou hast laid Thine hand on me,
Kindly visited my sin,
Scourged the wanderer back to Thee.

Taught obedience to my God
By the things I have endured,
Meekly now I kiss the rod,
Wounded by the rod, and cured:
Good for me the grief and pain,
Let me but Thy grace adore,
Keep the pardon I regain,
Stand in awe, and sin no more.

CXII. THE SAME.

Hymn 13.

[But can it be, that I should prove]

But can it be, that I should prove
For ever faithful to Thy love,
From sin for ever cease?
I thank Thee for the blessed hope!
It lifts my drooping spirit up,
And gives me back my peace.

In Thee, O Lord, I put my trust,
Mighty, and merciful, and just,
Thy sacred word is past;
And I, who dare Thy word receive,
Without committing sin shall live,
Shall live to God at last.

480

No more shall sin its sway maintain,
No longer in my members reign,
Or captivate my heart,
Upheld by Thy victorious grace,
I walk henceforth in all Thy ways,
And never will depart.

I rest in Thine almighty power,
The name of Jesus is a tower
That hides my life above.
Thou canst, Thou wilt my Keeper be,
My confidence is all in Thee,
The faithful God of love.

While still to Thee for help I call,
Thou wilt not suffer me to fall,
Thou canst not let me sin:
And Thou shalt give me power to pray,
Till all my sins are purged away,
And all Thy mind brought in.

Wherefore in never-ceasing prayer
My soul to Thy continual care
I faithfully commend;
Assured that Thou through life shalt save,
And show Thyself beyond the grave
My everlasting Friend.

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