The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Jesu, the growing work is Thine,
And who shall hinder its success?
In vain the alien armies join,
Thy glorious gospel to suppress,
And vow, with Satan's aid, to' o'erthrow
The work Thy grace revives below.

The wary world, as Julian wise,
Wise with the wisdom from beneath,
Awhile its milder malice tries,
And lets these mad enthusiasts breathe,
Breathe to infect their purest air,
And spread the plague of virtue there.

Wondering the calm despisers stand,
And dream that they the respite give;
Restrain'd by Thine o'erruling hand,
They kindly suffer us to live,
Live, to defy their master's frown,
And turn his kingdom upside down.

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Still the old Dragon bites his chain,
Not yet commission'd from on high;
Rage the fierce Pharisees in vain,
Away with them, the Zealots cry;
And hoary Caiaphas exclaims,
And Bonner dooms us to the flames.

But our great God, who reigns on high,
Shall laugh their haughty rage to scorn,
Scatter their evil with His eye,
Or to His praise their fierceness turn;
While all their efforts to remove
His church, shall stablish her in love.

Yes, Lord, Thy promise-word is true,
Our sacred hairs are number'd all;
Though earth, and hell our lives pursue,
Without Thy leave we cannot fall:
And if Thou slack the murderer's chain,
We suffer but with Thee to reign.

Our sufferings shall advance Thy cause,
And blunt the persecutor's sword,
Dispread the victory of Thy cross,
And glorify our conquering Lord;
Evil shall work for Sion's good:
Its seed is still the martyrs' blood.

LXXVII. THE SAME FOR THE BRETHREN AT WEDNESBURY.

Hymn 2.

Dear dying Lamb, for whom alone
We suffer pain, and shame, and loss,

252

Hear Thine afflicted people groan,
Crush'd by the burden of Thy cross,
And bear our fainting spirits up,
And bless the bitter, sacred cup.

Drunkards, and slaves of lewd excess,
Bad, lawless men, Thou know'st, we lived:
The world and we were then at peace,
No devil his own servants grieved,
Evil we did, but suffer'd none;
The world will always love its own.

But now we would Thy word obey,
And strive to' escape the wrath Divine,
Exposed to all, an helpless prey,
Bruised by our enemies, and Thine,
As sheep 'midst ravening wolves we lie,
And daily grieve, and daily die.

Smitten, we turn the other cheek,
Our ease, and name, and goods forego;
Help, or redress no longer seek
In any child of man below;
The powers Thou didst for us ordain,
For us they bear the sword in vain.

But wilt Thou not at last appear,
Into Thine hand the matter take?
We look for no protection here,
But Thee our only refuge make,
To Thee, O righteous Judge, appeal,
And wait Thine acceptable will.

253

Thou wilt not shut Thy bowels up,
Or justice to the' oppress'd deny;
Thy mercy's ears Thou canst not stop
Against the mournful prisoners' cry,
Who ever make our humble moan,
And look for help to Thee alone.

Then help us meekly to sustain
The cross of man's oppressive power,
To slight the shame, endure the pain,
And calmly wait the welcome hour,
That brings the fiery chariot down,
And whirls us to our heavenly crown.

LXXVIII. THE SAME. FOR THE BRETHREN AT THE DEVIZES.

Hymn 3.

Jesus of Nazareth, look down
On those Thou call'st Thy flesh and bone,
Thy suffering members here:
Arise, in their defence arise,
And now, in all the heathen's eyes,
On Israel's part appear.

Thy weakest confessors defend,
And let them on Thyself depend
For help in their distress:
Support, confirm the feeble mind,
And keep them all on Thee reclined,
And keep in perfect peace.

254

Let none forsake the fold, and fly,
Let none through fear their Lord deny,
But stand the fiery hour,
The greatness of Thy mercy prove,
The truth of Thy redeeming love,
And all-sufficient power.

Let none unwarily give place
To Satan, with his angel face,
And yield their souls to sell,
To sell their conscience, and their God,
Or weary leave the narrow road,
And go for ease—to hell.

Still may they on the world look down,
Superior to its smile and frown,
Its threats and promises;
The tempter tread beneath their feet,
And Thee, where Satan keeps his seat,
In life, and death confess.

Now, Saviour, now their fears remove,
The sense of Thy redeeming love
Abundantly impart,
To all whose sacred love we feel;
The prayer of faith this moment seal
On every panting heart.

[FOR ONE IN PRISON]

LXXIX. THE SAME. FOR ONE IN PRISON.

Hymn 4.

O Saviour of sinners distress'd,
The sighs of Thy captive attend,
And succour, and set him at rest,
And ransom his soul to the end:

255

Our brother, whose burden we bear,
Whom into Thy hands we resign,
Preserve with Thy tenderest care,
And seal him eternally Thine.

Afflicted, and hated of men,
Of Thee, and Thy servants beloved,
We see him with pity and pain,
From all his companions removed:
Whom present in spirit we find,
Him absent in body we mourn,
And long to be perfectly join'd,
And pray for his happy return.

O Father, who hearest the prayer,
Presented in Jesus's name,
The peaceable answer declare,
Confirm'd in the blood of the Lamb;
We pray Thee, for Jesus's sake,
The prisoner of Jesus retrieve,
And give us His confessor back,
And all to Thy glory receive.

LXXX. ANOTHER.

Hymn 5.

[Hear, O Lord, the ceaseless prayer]

Hear, O Lord, the ceaseless prayer
The suffering members groan,
Lo! we all the burden bear,
And grieve the grief of one:
Pray we, Jesus, in Thy name,
Give him to Thy church restored,
Him whom now in faith we claim,
The prisoner of the Lord.

256

All together bound with him
We for deliverance cry:
Thou art mighty to redeem,
Thy help is ever nigh:
Who against Thy power can stand?
Jesu, Lord, the matter take
Into Thine almighty hand,
And send our brother back.

Now into his dungeon shine,
And sweeten his distress,
Fill his heart with love Divine,
And keep in perfect peace;
Let his mind on Thee be stay'd,
Lull him in Thy arms to rest,
Bid him lean his weary head
On his Redeemer's breast.

Keep him, till the' appointed hour
Thy glory to display,
Then put forth Thy kingly power,
And make an open way;
From his sins, and bonds release,
Stamp him with the stamp Divine,
Thou Thy lawful captive seize,
And seal him ever Thine.

LXXXI. THE SAME.

Hymn 6.

[Hear, O Thou Strength of Israel, hear]

Hear, O Thou Strength of Israel, hear
Thy poor, afflicted people's cry,
From Satan, and his legions near,
To Thee our only Help we fly;
All human confidence resign,
Nor trust in any arm but Thine.

257

Not one of all the rich, or great,
Or noble, on our side is seen,
They shrink to bear Thy cross's weight,
They seek the praise that comes from men,
Thine honour sell, to save their own,
And leave us to our God alone.

Exposed we seem to Satan's will,
As sheep 'midst ravening wolves we lie,
Our foes have learnt the art to kill,
By legal wrong they doom to die
The faithful followers of our Lord,
And slay them as with Ammon's sword.

In haste to fill their measure up,
And bring Thy plague on all the race,
Their ears against Thy calls they stop,
Reject the gospel of Thy grace,
Slaughter against Thy people breathe,
And drag Thy messengers to death.

But wilt Thou not Thy cause maintain,
Thy helpless, injured people right?
Yes, Lord; our faith shall not be vain,
Our faith in Thy all-saving might
Shall bring the promised succours down,
And win the fight, and take the crown.

Thou wilt, we steadfastly believe,
Thy glorious arm at last display,
Out of the toils of hell retrieve,
And take us for Thy lawful prey,
Call home Thy flock to exile driven,
And lead us to Thy fold in heaven.

258

LXXXII. THE SAME.

Hymn 7.

[Rejoice, ye happy saints]

Rejoice, ye happy saints,
Who only Jesus know,
Whom vice and folly paints
As monsters here below,
Rejoice in the Divine applause,
The honour from above,
And glory in your Master's cross,
And triumph in His love.

Ye wise and pious few,
Whose names the world blaspheme,
They therefore know not you
Because they know not Him:
Strangers, approved of God alone,
To all their wrongs submit,
And let them spurn, and tread you down
As clay beneath their feet.

'Tis thus ye learn to be
True followers of the Lamb,
Who died upon the tree,
That ye might do the same;
With humble thankfulness receive
The scandal of the cross,
The grace not only to believe,
But suffer for His cause.

By fools accounted mad,
Of His reproach possess'd,
He bids your hearts be glad,
Your Lord declares you blest;

259

Exult in your despised estate,
Enjoy the token given,
For O! beyond conception great
Is your reward in heaven.

LXXXIII. THE SAME.

Hymn 8. John xvi. 1, 2, 3, 4.

[Master, we call Thy word to mind]

Master, we call Thy word to mind,
Thy truth and faithfulness we find
Our sure support, and stay:
The time is come, by Thee foretold,
Like sheep we are to slaughter sold,
And made to wolves a prey.

The world, who take Thy name in vain,
Afflict our shrinking flesh with pain,
Our feeble spirits grieve;
The Christian world with furious zeal,
Out of their synagogues expel,
And murmur that we live.

They load us with reproach, and shame,
As loathsome heretics disclaim,
And from Thine altars chase;
Assured they do Thee service good,
And merit much, who shed the blood
Of such a poisonous race.

Because our God they have not known,
Nor Thee His meek, pacific Son,
They all these evils do;
Born of the flesh with cruel scorn
They vex us of the Spirit born,
And would to death pursue.

260

In every place, in every age,
The restless persecutor's rage
Continues still the same;
Reform'd in show, refined in ill,
The heathen world is heathen still,
And Christian but in name.

Beneath their anger's utmost weight
We rise, we glory in their hate,
That token of Thy love;
Thou, Lord, hast said, It must be so,
And lo! through great distress we go
To greater joys above.

University of Virginia Library

[HYMNS FOR THE PERSECUTED]

LXXVI. HYMNS FOR THE PERSECUTED.

Hymn 1.