The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Pain, my old companion pain,
Seldom parted from my side,
Welcome to thy seat again,
Here, if God permits, abide:
Pledge of sure-approaching ease,
Haste to stop my wretched breath,
Rugged messenger of peace,
Joyful harbinger of death.

Foe to nature as thou art,
I embrace thee as my friend:
Thou shalt bid my griefs depart,
Bring me to my journey's end:
Yes, I joyfully decay,
Homeward through thy help I haste;
Thou hast shook the house of clay;
Surely it will fall at last.

Kind remembrancer, to thee
Many a cheerful thought I owe:
Witness of mortality,
Wise through thee my end I know;
Warn'd by every pain I feel
Of my dissolution near;
Pleased the lessening hours I tell:
Quickly shall the last be here.

Sacred, salutary ill,
Thee though foolish man miscall,
Mingled by my Father's skill;
Sweet as honey is the gall:
Who beneath thy pressure groan,
Chief of ills who reckon thee,
Sin, alas! they ne'er have known:
Sin is perfect misery.

Free from sin I soon shall live,
Free from sin while here below,
Only thou may'st still survive,
Till the joys of heaven I know,
Of my starry crown possess'd;
All thy office then is o'er,
When I gain the glorious rest,
Pain and suffering are no more.

CLX. THE SAME.

Hymn 2.

[And shall I, Lord, the cup decline]

And shall I, Lord, the cup decline
So wisely mix'd by Love Divine,
And tasted first by Thee!
The bitter draught Thou drankest up,
And but this single, sacred drop
Hast Thou reserved for me.

Lo! I receive it at Thy hand,
And bear by Thy benign command
The salutary pain;
With Thee to live I gladly die,
And suffer here, above the sky
With my dear Lord to reign.

Here only can I show my love,
By suffering my obedience prove;
But when Thy heaven I share,
I cannot mourn for Jesu's sake,
I cannot there Thy cup partake,
I cannot suffer there.

Full gladly then for Thee I grieve,
The honour of Thy cross receive,
And bless the happy load:
Who would not in Thy footsteps tread,
Who would not bow, like Thee, his head,
And sympathise with God!

CLXI. THE SAME.

Hymn 3.

[Jesus, Thy sovereign name I bless!]

Jesus, Thy sovereign name I bless!
Sorrow is joy, and pain is ease
To those that trust in Thee:

All things together work for good,
To me, the purchase of Thy blood,
The much-loved sinner me.

A feeble, helpless child of man
I suffer and enjoy my pain,
And hidden sweetness prove;
With pitying eyes and outstretch'd hands,
Before me still the Saviour stands,
In majesty of love.

Gladly I drink Thy mercy's cup,
I fill my Lord's afflictions up,
I now am truly great;
Exalted by Thy kind command,
By sufferings placed at Thy right hand,
I in Thy kingdom sit.

With Thee, O Christ, on earth I reign,
In all the awful pomp of pain;
But send my piercing eyes
The' eternal things unseen to see,
The crown of life reserved for me,
And glittering through the skies.

As sure as now Thy cross I bear,
I shall Thy heavenly kingdom share,
And take my seat above;
Celestial joy is in this pain,
It tells me, I with Thee shall reign,
In everlasting love.

The more my sufferings here increase,
The greater is my future bliss;
And Thou my griefs dost tell:

They in Thy book are noted down;
A jewel added to my crown
Is every pain I feel.

So be it then, if Thou ordain,
Crowd all my happy life with pain,
And let me daily die:
I bow, and bless the sacred sign,
And bear the cross, by grace Divine,
Which lifts me to the sky.

University of Virginia Library

[FOR ONE IN PAIN]

CLIX. FOR ONE IN PAIN.