The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

For as the snow from heaven comes down,
The first and latter rains distil,
The earth with fruitfulness to crown,
Man's heart with food and joy to fill:

As no return the shower can know,
But falls a thirsty land to cheer,
But executes its charge below,
While plenty decks the smiling year:

So shall the word My lips have spoke
Accomplish that which I ordain;
My word I never will revoke;
My word is not gone forth in vain.

In My redeeming work employ'd,
And sent My pleasure to fulfil,
Vain it shall not return, and void,
But prosper, and perform My will.

With Me is plenteous mercy found,
Redemption free for all to know;
And where your sin doth most abound,
My more abundant grace shall flow.

From guilt and pain ye shall be freed,
From the black dungeon of despair,
Into My heavenly kingdom led,
And reap eternal pleasures there.

All ye that in My word believe
Shall see My love in Jesu's face;
The peace and joy of faith receive,
And triumph in My saving grace.

The trees shall clap their hands and sing,
Mountains and hills their voices raise;
All the new heavens and earth shall ring
With Jesus their Creator's praise.

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Where thorns deform'd the barren ground,
Where noisome weeds the soul o'erspread,
There shall the fruits of grace abound,
And second nature lift her head.

The trees of God shall deck the soil,
The plants of righteousness arise;
The Lord shall on His garden smile,
His late-returning paradise.

The earth, in token of His grace,
Shall spread the odour of His fame,
And everlasting trophies raise,
To glorify the Saviour's name.

THE LIFE OF FAITH,

Exemplified in the Eleventh Chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews.

VERSE I.

Author of Faith, Eternal Word,
Whose Spirit breathes the active flame;
Faith, like its Finisher and Lord,
To-day as yesterday the same:

To Thee our humble hearts aspire,
And ask the gift unspeakable:
Increase in us the kindled fire,
In us the work of faith fulfil.

By faith we know Thee strong to save:
(Save us, a present Saviour Thou!)
Whate'er we hope, by faith we have,
Future and past subsisting now.

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To him that in Thy name believes,
Eternal life with Thee is given;
Into himself he all receives,
Pardon, and happiness, and heaven.

The things unknown to feeble sense,
Unseen by reason's glimmering ray,
With strong, commanding evidence
Their heavenly origin display.

Faith lends its realizing light,
The clouds disperse, the shadows fly,
The' Invisible appears in sight,
And God is seen by mortal eye.

VERSES II., III.

By faith the holy men of old
Obtain'd a never-dying name;
The Sacred Leaves their praise unfold,
And God Himself records their fame.

Through faith we know the worlds were made,
By His great word to being brought:
He spake; the earth and heaven obey'd;
The universe sprang forth from nought.

The heavens Thy glorious power proclaim,
If Thou in us Thy power declare;
We know from whom the fabric came;
Our heart believes, when God is there.

Thee through Thyself we understand,
When Thou in us Thyself hast shown,
We see Thy all-creating hand,
We feel a God through faith alone.

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VERSE IV.

Believing in the woman's Seed,
And justified by faith alone,
Abel a nobler offering made,
And God vouchsafed his gifts to own.

Witness Divine he thus obtain'd,
The gift of righteousness received;
And now he wears the crown he gain'd,
And sees the Christ he once believed.

Still by his faith he speaks, though dead;
He calls us to the living way:
We hear; and in his footsteps tread:
We first believe, and then obey.

VERSES V., VI.

Exempted from the general doom,
The death which all are born to know,
Enoch obtain'd his heavenly home
By faith, and disappear'd below.

From earth unpainfully released,
Translated to the realms of light,
He found the God by faith he pleased;
His faith was sweetly lost in sight.

God, without faith, we cannot please:
For all, who unto God would come,
Must feelingly believe He is,
And gives to all their righteous doom.

We feelingly believe Thou art:
Behold, we ever seek Thee, Lord,
With all our mind, with all our heart,
And find Thee now our great reward.

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VERSE VII.

Divinely warn'd of judgments near,
Noah believed a threatening God;
With humble faith, and holy fear
He built the ark, and 'scaped the flood.

He (while the world that disbelieved,
The careless world of sinners, died)
The righteousness of faith received:
Noah by faith was justified.

We too by faith the world condemn,
Of righteousness Divine possest,
Escape the wrath that covers them,
Safe in the ark of Jesu's breast.

VERSES VIII., IX., X.

Obedient to his God's command,
And influenced by faith alone,
Abraham left his native land,
Went out, and sought a place unknown;—

A place he should possess at last,
When full four hundred years were o'er;—
Upon the Word himself he cast;
He follow'd God, and ask'd no more.

As in a strange, though promised, land,
(A land his distant heirs received,)
He and his sons in tents remain'd;
He knew on whom he had believed.

A better heritage he sought,
A city built by God on high;
Thither he raised his towering thought,
He fix'd on heaven his steadfast eye.

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Whose firm foundations never move,
Jerusalem was all his care,
The New Jerusalem above;
His treasure and his heart was there.

And shall not we the call obey,
And haste where God commands, to go?
Despise these tenements of clay,
These dreams of happiness below?

Yes, Lord; we hearken to Thy call;
As sojourners o'er earth we rove;
We have for Thee forsaken all,
And seek the heaven of perfect love.

VERSES XI., XII.

By faith the handmaid of the Lord,
Sarah, received a power unknown;
She judged Him faithful to His word;
Barren and old, she bore a son.

Nature had lost its genial power,
And Abraham was old, in vain:
Impossibilities are o'er,
If faith assent, and God ordain.

He glorified Jehovah's name;
(God spake the word, it must be done;)
Father of nations he became,
And multitudes sprang forth from one.

From one old man the race did rise,
A barren womb the myriads bore,
Countless as stars that deck the skies,
As sands that crown the ocean-shore.

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VERSES XIII., XIV., XV., XVI.

The worthies these of ancient days,
By faith they lived, in faith they died:
Not yet received the promised grace,
But darkly from afar descried.

Assured the Saviour should appear,
And confident in Christ to come,
Him they embraced,—though distant, near,—
And languish'd for their heavenly home.

Pilgrims they here themselves confess'd,
Who no abiding-place must know;
Strangers on earth, they could not rest,
Or find their happiness below.

Regardless of the things behind,
The earthly home from whence they came,
A better land they long'd to find,
A promised heaven was all their aim.

Their faith the gracious Father sees,
And kindly for His children cares;
He condescends to call them His,
And suffers them to call Him theirs.

For them His heaven He hath prepared,
His New Jerusalem above;
And love is there their great reward,
A whole eternity of love.

VERSES XVII., XVIII., XIX.

Abraham, when severely tried,
His faith by his obedience show'd;
He with the harsh command complied,
And gave his Isaac back to God.

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His son the father offer'd up,
Son of his age, his only son,
Object of all his joy and hope,
And less beloved than God alone.

His seed elect, his heir foretold,
Of whom the promised Christ should rise,
He could not from his God withhold
That best, that costliest sacrifice.

The father curb'd his swelling grief;
'Twas God required, it must be done;
He stagger'd not through unbelief,
He bared his arm to slay his son.

He rested in Jehovah's power;
The word must stand which God hath said;
He knew the' Almighty could restore,
Could raise his Isaac from the dead.

He knew in whom he had believed,
And, trusting in Omnipotence,
His son as from the dead received,
His steadfast face received him thence.

O for a faith like his, that we
The bright example may pursue;
May gladly give up all to Thee,
To whom our more than all is due!

Now, Lord, for Thee our all we leave;
Our willing soul Thy call obeys;
Pleasure, and wealth, and fame we give,
Freedom, and life, to win Thy grace.

Is there a thing than life more dear,
A thing from which we cannot part?—
We can; we now rejoice to tear
The idol from our bleeding heart.

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Jesu, accept our sacrifice;
All things for Thee we count but loss;
Lo! at Thy word our Isaac dies,
Dies on the altar of Thy cross.

Now to Thyself the victim take;
Nature's last agony is o'er;
Freely Thine own we render back,
We grieve to part with all no more.

For what to Thee, O Lord, we give,
An hundred-fold we here obtain;
And soon with Thee shall all receive,
And loss shall be eternal gain.

VERSES XX., XXI., XXII.

Isaac by faith declared his race
In Jacob and in Esau blest;
The younger by peculiar grace
A nobler heritage possess'd.

By faith expiring Jacob knew
Distinguish'd mercies to pronounce;
His hands found out the happy two,
And blest his favourite Joseph's sons.

He raised himself upon the bed;
Propp'd on a staff, he own'd his Lord;
The patriarch bow'd his hoary head,
His body with his soul adored.

Joseph by faith the flight foretold
Of Israel's afflicted race;
God their hard bondage should behold,
And lead them to the promised place.

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Thither he will'd his bones to go,
And take possession in their stead:
His bones the promised land shall show;
He claims his Canaan, though dead.

VERSES XXIII., XXIV., XXV., XXVI., XXVII., XXVIII.

Moses by faith from death was saved;
While heedless of the tyrant's will,
His parents in their God believed,
And dared the lovely babe conceal.

By faith, when now to manhood grown,
A just contempt of earth he show'd,
Refused a prince's name to own,
And sought but to be great in God.

In vain its pomps ambition spreads,
Glory in vain displays her charms;
A brighter crown its lustre sheds,
A purer flame his bosom warms.

Wisely he chose the better part,
Sufferings with God's elect to share:
To pleasures vain he steel'd his heart;
No room for them when God is there.

Fleeting he deem'd them all, and vain;
His heart on heavenly joys bestow'd;
Partaker of his people's pain,
The' afflicted people of his God.

Egypt unfolds her golden blaze,
Yet all for Christ he counts but loss;
A richer treasure he surveys,
His Lord's anticipated Cross.

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He triumph'd in His glorious shame,
On pleasure, fame, and wealth look'd down;
'Twas heaven at which his wishes aim'd,
Aspiring to a starry crown.

By faith he left the' oppressive land,
And scorn'd the petty rage of kings,
Supported by Jehovah's hand,
And shadow'd by Jehovah's wings.

His steady way he still pursued,
Nor hopes nor fears retard his pace;
The' Invisible before him stood,
And faith unveil'd the Saviour's face.

By faith he slew the typic Lamb,
And kept the passover of God:
He knew from whom its virtue came,
The saving power of sprinkled blood.

With all the servants of his Lord,
He (while the first-born victims died)
Dared the destroying angel's sword,
And, arm'd with blood, its point defied!

VERSE XXIX.

While through the sea by faith they past,
The sea retired at God's command,
The waves shrink back with trembling haste,
The waves a crystal barrier stand.

The' Egyptians, daring to pursue,
With horror found a watery grave;
Too late their want of faith they knew,
And sunk beneath the' o'erwhelming wave.

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VERSES XXX.–XXXV.

By faith, while Israel's host surrounds
Proud Jericho's devoted walls,
The ark stands still, the trumpet sounds,
The people shouts, the city falls.

Rahab by faith deliverance found,
Nor perish'd with the' accursed race;
The harlot, for her faith renown'd,
Amongst the worthies takes her place:

Worthies, who all recorded stand,
And shine in everlasting lays;
And justly now they each demand
The tribute of distincter praise.

Gideon and Barak claim the song,
And David good, and Samuel wise,
And Jephtha bold, and Samson strong,
And all the ancient prophets rise!

The battles of the Lord they fought
Through faith, and mighty states subdued;
And works of righteousness they wrought,
And proved the faithfulness of God.

They stopp'd the lions' mouths, the rage
Of fire they quench'd, escaped the sword;
The weak grew strong, and bold to' engage,
And chase the hosts that dared their Lord.

Women their quicken'd dead received;
Women the power of faith display'd,
With steadfast confidence believed,
Believed their children from the dead.

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VERSES XXXV.–XXXVII.

Others, as in a furnace tried,
With strength of passive grace endued,
Tortures and deaths, through faith, defied;
Through faith resisted unto blood.

Earth they beheld with generous scorn,
On all its proffer'd goods look'd down;
High on a fiery chariot borne,
They lost their life to keep their crown.

Secure a better life to find,
The path of varied death they trod,
Their souls triumphantly resign'd,
And died into the arms of God.

The prelude of contempt they found,
A spectacle to fiends and men;
Cruelly mock'd, and scourged, and bound,
Till death shut up the bloody scene.

Or stoned, they glorified their Lord;
Or joy'd, asunder sawn, to' expire;
Or rush'd to meet the slaughtering sword;
Or triumph'd in the torturing fire.

VERSES XXXVII., XXXVIII.

Naked, or in rough goatskins clad,
In every place they long confess'd
The God, for whom o'er earth they stray'd,
Tormented, destitute, distress'd.

Of whom the world unworthy was,
Whom only God their Maker knew;
The world they punish'd with their loss,
The holy anchorites withdrew.

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Lone, unfrequented wilds they trod,
O'er mountain-tops the wanderers ran,
With milder beasts in dens abode,
And shunn'd the haunts of savage man.

VERSES XXXIX., XL.

Famed for their faith, all these believed,
By justifying faith made whole:
Nor yet the promised grace received,
The Christ, the fulness in their soul.

A better gift He us provides,
On whom the Gospel-times are come;
And, lo! the Holy Ghost abides
In us, and makes our hearts His home.

We now our elder brethren meet,
Their faith and happiness improve;
And soon with them shall shine complete
In Christ, and perfected in love.

BUSINESS.

Altered from Herbert.

Art thou idle? Canst thou play?
Foolish soul, who sinn'd to-day!
He that loseth gold, though dross,
Tells to all he meets his loss:
What for shadows hast thou given?
Peace, and joy, and love, and heaven.

Art thou idle? Sits there now
Giddy mirth upon thy brow?
If thou hast no sighs and tears,
Well thou hadst no guilt or fears:
Tears for living mourners plead;
Nought avails the hopeless dead.

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If thou still canst idle be,
Foolish soul, who died for thee?
Who forsook His throne on high,
Laid His every glory by,
Drank the dregs of wrath Divine?
Lord, was ever love like Thine!

Idle mirth, where art thou now?
Where the giddy, thoughtless brow?
Hast thou sinn'd? Lament and grieve:
Hath God died? Believe, and live:
Mirth, adieu, and laughter vain!
Laughter was not made for man.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS.

Regardless now of things below,
Jesus, to Thee my heart aspires,
Determined Thee alone to know,
Author and end of my desires:
Fill me with righteousness Divine;
To end, as to begin, is Thine.

What is a worthless worm to Thee?
What is in man Thy grace to move?
That still Thou seekest those who flee
The arms of Thy pursuing love?
That still Thy inmost bowels cry,
“Why, sinner, wilt thou perish, why?”

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Ah, show me, Lord, my depth of sin!
Ah, Lord, Thy depth of mercy show!
End, Jesus, end this war within:
No rest my spirit e'er shall know,
Till Thou Thy quickening influence give:
Breathe, Lord, and these dry bones shall live.

There, there before the throne Thou art,
The Lamb ere earth's foundations slain!
Take Thou, O, take this guilty heart;
Thy blood will wash out every stain:
No cross, no sufferings I decline;
Only let all my heart be Thine!

THE SAME.

[God of Love, incline Thine ear!]

God of Love, incline Thine ear!
Christ, my King, Haste and bring
Thy salvation near.

Thee my restless soul requires;
Restless till Thou fulfil
All its large desires.

Only Thou to me be given;
Thou be mine, I resign
All in earth and heaven.

Jesus, come, my sickness cure;
Show Thine art, Cleanse a heart
Full of thoughts impure.

Painfully it now aspires
To be free, Full of Thee,
Full of hallow'd fires.

224

Lo, I tread on deaths and snares,
Sinking still Into ill,
Plunged in griefs and cares.

When, O, when wilt Thou appear?
O, draw nigh! Say, “'Tis I;”
And I will not fear.

Hasten, hasten the glad hour;
Come and be Unto me
Health, and love, and power.

Christ, my life, my inward heaven,
Through the whole Of my soul
Spread Thy little leaven.

Make me to the end endure;
Let me feel Love the seal:
Love shall make it sure.

Love, thine image Love, restore:
Let me love, Hence remove,
And be seen no more.

A MORNING HYMN.

Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only Light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
Triumph o'er the shades of night;
Day-spring from on high, be near;
Day-star, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn,
Unaccompanied by Thee:
Joyless is the day's return,
Till Thy mercy's beams I see;

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Till they inward light impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit, then, this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, Radiancy Divine,
Scatter all my unbelief,
More and more Thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.

ANOTHER.

[Jesus, the all-restoring Word]

Jesus, the all-restoring Word,
My fallen spirit's hope,
After Thy lovely likeness, Lord,
O, when shall I wake up!

Thou, O my God, Thou only art
The Life, the Truth, the Way:
Quicken my soul, instruct my heart,
My sinking footsteps stay.

Of all Thou hast in earth below,
In heaven above, to give,
Give me Thine only Self to know,
In Thee to walk and live.

Fill me with all the life of love;
In mystic union join
Me to Thyself, and let me prove
The fellowship Divine.

Open the intercourse between
My longing soul and Thee,
Never to be broke off again
Through all eternity.

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Grant this, O Lord; for Thou hast died
That I might be forgiven;
Thou hast the righteousness supplied
For which I merit heaven.

AN EVENING HYMN.

Jesus, the all-atoning Lamb,
Lover of lost mankind,
Salvation in whose only Name
A sinful world can find:

I ask Thy grace to make me clean;
I come to Thee, my God:
Open, O Lord, for this day's sin,
The fountain of Thy blood.

Hither my spotted soul be brought,
And every idle word,
And every work, and every thought
That hath not pleased my Lord:

Hither my actions righteous deem'd
By man, and counted good;
As filthy rags by God esteem'd,
Till sprinkled with Thy blood.

No! my best actions cannot save,
But Thou must purge even them:
And (if in Thee I now believe)
My worst cannot condemn.

To Thee, then, O vouchsafe me power
For pardon still to flee,
And every day, and every hour
To wash myself in Thee.

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TO THE REV. MR. WHITEFIELD.

Brother in Christ, and well-beloved,
Attend, and add thy prayer to mine,
As Aaron call'd, and inly moved,
To minister in things Divine!

Faithful, and often own'd of God,
Vessel of grace, by Jesus used;
Stir up the gift on thee bestow'd,
The gift through hallow'd hands transfused.

Fully thy heavenly mission prove,
And make thy own election sure;
Rooted in faith, and hope, and love,
Active to work, and firm to' endure.

Scorn to contend with flesh and blood,
And trample on so mean a foe;
By stronger fiends in vain withstood,
Dauntless to nobler conquests go.

Go where the darkest tempest lowers;
Thy foes, triumphant wrestler, foil;
Thrones, principalities, and powers
Engage, o'ercome, and take the spoil.

The weapons of thy warfare take;
With truth and meekness arm'd, ride on;
Mighty through God, hell's kingdom shake,
Satan's strongholds, through God, pull down.

Humble each vain aspiring boast;
Intensely for God's glory burn;
Strongly declare the sinner lost;
Self-righteousness o'erturn, o'erturn.

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Tear the bright idol from his shrine,
Nor suffer him on earth to dwell,
To' usurp the place of Blood Divine,
But chase him to his native hell.

Be all into subjection brought;
The pride of man let faith abase,
And captivate his every thought,
And force him to be saved by grace.

TO THE SAME, BEFORE HIS VOYAGE

Servant of God, the summons hear;
Thy Master calls, arise, obey!
The tokens of His will appear,
His providence points out the way.

Lo! we commend thee to His grace:
In confidence go forth! be strong!
Thy meat His will, thy boast His praise,
His righteousness be all thy song.

Strong in the Lord's almighty power,
And arm'd in panoply Divine,
Firm mayst thou stand in danger's hour,
And prove the strength of Jesus thine.

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Thy breastplate be His righteousness;
His sacred truth thy loins surround;
Shod be thy beauteous feet with peace;
Spring forth, and spread the Gospel sound.

Fight the good fight, and stand secure
In faith's impenetrable shield;
Hell's prince shall tremble at its power,
With all his fiery darts repell'd.

Prevent thy foes, nor wait their charge,
But call their lingering battle on;
But strongly grasp thy sevenfold targe,
And bear the world and Satan down.

The helmet of salvation take,
The Lord's, the Spirit's conquering sword;
Speak from the Word—in lightning speak;
Cry out, and thunder—from the Word.

Champion of God, thy Lord proclaim,
Jesus alone resolved to know;
Tread down thy foes in Jesu's name:
Go—conquering, and to conquer go.

Through racks and fires pursue thy way,
Be mindful of a dying God;
Finish thy course, and win the day:
Look up—and seal the truth with blood.

A HYMN, TO BE SUNG AT SEA.

Lord of the wide-extended main,
Whose power the winds and seas controls,
Whose hand doth earth and heaven sustain,
Whose Spirit leads believing souls:

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For Thee we leave our native shore,
(We whom Thy love delights to keep,)
In other worlds Thy works explore,
And see Thy wonders in the deep.

'Tis here Thy unknown paths we trace,
Which dark to human eyes appear;
While through the mighty waves we pass,
Faith only sees that God is here.

Throughout the deep Thy footsteps shine,
We own Thy way is in the sea,
O'erawed by Majesty Divine,
And lost in Thy immensity!

Thy wisdom here we learn to' adore,
Thy everlasting truth we prove,
Amazing heights of boundless power,
Unfathomable depths of love.

Infinite God, Thy greatness spann'd
These heavens, and meted out the skies;
Lo! in the hollow of Thy hand
The measured waters sink and rise!

Thee to perfection who can tell?
Earth and her sons beneath Thee lie,
Lighter than dust within Thy scale,
And less than nothing in Thine eye.

Yet in Thy Son, Divinely great,
We claim Thy providential care;
Boldly we stand before Thy seat,
Our Advocate hath placed us there.

With Him we are gone up on high,
Since He is ours, and we are His;
With Him we reign above the sky,
Yet walk upon our subject seas.

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We boast of our recover'd powers,
Lords are we of the lands and floods;
And earth, and heaven, and all is ours,
And we are Christ's, and Christ is God's!

IN A STORM.

Glory to Thee, whose powerful word
Bids the tempestuous wind arise;
Glory to Thee, the Sovereign Lord
Of air, and earth, and seas, and skies!

Let air, and earth, and skies obey,
And seas Thy awful will perform:
From them we learn to own Thy sway,
And shout to meet the gathering storm.

What though the floods lift up their voice,
Thou hearest, Lord, our louder cry;
They cannot damp Thy children's joys,
Or shake the soul, when God is nigh.

Headlong we cleave the yawning deep,
And back to highest heaven are borne,
Unmoved, though rapid whirlwinds sweep,
And all the watery world upturn.

Roar on, ye waves! Our souls defy
Your roaring to disturb our rest:
In vain to' impair the calm ye try,
The calm in a believer's breast.

Rage, while our faith the Saviour tries,
Thou sea, the servant of His will:
Rise, while our God permits thee, rise;
But fall, when He shall say, “Be still!”

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ZECHARIAH XII. 10.

From the German.

“They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced.”

Extended on a cursed tree,
Besmear'd with dust, and sweat, and blood,
See there, the King of Glory see!
Sinks and expires the Son of God!

Who, who, my Saviour, this hath done?
Who could Thy sacred body wound?
No guilt Thy spotless heart hath known;
No guile hath in Thy lips been found.

I, I alone have done the deed!
'Tis I Thy sacred flesh have torn:
My sins have caused Thee, Lord, to bleed,
Pointed the nail and fix'd the thorn.

The burden, for me to sustain
Too great, on Thee, my Lord, was laid:
To heal me, Thou hast borne my pain;
To bless me, Thou a curse wast made.

In the devouring lion's teeth
Torn, and forsook of all, I lay;
Thou spring'st into the jaws of death,
From death to save the helpless prey.

My Saviour, how shall I proclaim,
How pay the mighty debt I owe?
Let all I have, and all I am
Ceaseless to all Thy glory show.

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Too much to Thee I cannot give,
Too much I cannot do for Thee:
Let all Thy love, and all Thy grief
Graven on my heart for ever be!

The meek, the still, the lowly mind,
O, may I learn from Thee, my God;
And love with softest pity join'd
For those that trample on Thy blood.

Still let Thy tears, Thy groans, Thy sighs
O'erflow my eyes, and heave my breast,
Till loose from flesh and earth I rise,
And ever in Thy bosom rest.

THE MEANS OF GRACE.

Long have I seem'd to serve Thee, Lord,
With unavailing pain;
Fasted, and pray'd, and read Thy word,
And heard it preach'd, in vain.

Oft did I with the' assembly join,
And near Thine altar drew;
A form of godliness was mine,
The power I never knew.

To please Thee thus (at last I see)
In vain I hoped and strove:
For what are outward things to Thee,
Unless they spring from love?

I see the perfect law requires
Truth in the inward parts,
Our full consent, our whole desires,
Our undivided hearts.

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But I of means have made my boast,
Of means an idol made;
The spirit in the letter lost,
The substance in the shade.

I rested in the outward law,
Nor knew its deep design;
The length and breadth I never saw,
And height of love Divine.

Where am I now, or what my hope?
What can my weakness do?
Jesu, to Thee my soul looks up,
'Tis Thou must make it new.

Thine is the work, and Thine alone—
But shall I idly stand?
Shall I the written Rule disown,
And slight my God's command?

Wildly shall I from Thine turn back,
A better path to find;
Thy holy ordinance forsake,
And cast Thy words behind?

Forbid it, gracious Lord, that I
Should ever learn Thee so!
No—let me with Thy word comply,
If I Thy love would know.

Suffice for me, that Thou, my Lord,
Hast bid me fast and pray:
Thy will be done, Thy name adored;
'Tis only mine to' obey.

Thou bidd'st me search the Sacred Leaves,
And taste the hallow'd Bread:
The kind commands my soul receives,
And longs on Thee to feed.

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Still for Thy lovingkindness, Lord,
I in Thy temple wait;
I look to find Thee in Thy word,
Or at Thy table meet.

Here, in Thine own appointed ways,
I wait to learn Thy will:
Silent I stand before Thy face,
And hear Thee say, “Be still!

“Be still—and know that I am God!”
'Tis all I live to know;
To feel the virtue of Thy blood,
And spread its praise below.

I wait my vigour to renew,
Thine image to retrieve,
The veil of outward things pass through,
And gasp in Thee to live.

I work, and own the labour vain;
And thus from works I cease:
I strive, and see my fruitless pain,
Till God create my peace.

Fruitless, till Thou Thyself impart,
Must all my efforts prove:
They cannot change a sinful heart,
They cannot purchase love.

I do the thing Thy laws enjoin,
And then the strife give o'er:
To Thee I then the whole resign:
I trust in means no more.

I trust in Him who stands between
The Father's wrath and me:
Jesu! Thou great eternal Mean,
I look for all from Thee.

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Thy mercy pleads, Thy truth requires,
Thy promise calls Thee down!
Not for the sake of my desires—
But, O! regard Thine own!

I seek no motive out of Thee:
Thine own desires fulfil;
If now Thy bowels yearn on me,
On me perform Thy will.

Doom, if Thou canst, to endless pains,
And drive me from Thy face:
But if Thy stronger love constrains,
Let me be saved by grace.

WAITING FOR CHRIST.

Unchangeable, almighty Lord,
The true, and merciful, and just,
Be mindful of Thy gracious word,
Wherein Thou causest me to trust.

My weary eyes look out in vain,
And long Thy saving health to see:
But known to Thee is all my pain:
When wilt Thou come, and comfort me!

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Prisoner of hope, to Thee I turn,
Thee my strong hold, and only stay:
Harden'd in grief, I ever mourn:
Why do Thy chariot-wheels delay?

But shall Thy creature ask Thee why?
No; I retract the eager prayer:
Lord, as Thou wilt, and not as I;
I cannot choose; Thou canst not err.

To Thee, the only wise and true,
See then at last I all resign:
Make me in Christ a creature new,
The manner and the time be Thine.

Only preserve my soul from sin,
Nor let me faint for want of Thee:
I'll wait till Thou appear within,
And plant Thy heaven of love in me.

BEFORE READING THE SCRIPTURES.

Father of all, in whom alone
We live, and move, and breathe,
One bright celestial ray dart down,
And cheer Thy sons beneath.

While in Thy word we search for Thee,
(We search with trembling awe,)
Open our eyes, and let us see
The wonders of Thy law.

Now let our darkness comprehend
The light that shines so clear:
Now the revealing Spirit send,
And give us ears to hear.

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Before us make Thy goodness pass,
Which here by faith we know;
Let us in Jesus see Thy face,
And die to all below.

ANOTHER.

[Teacher Divine, we ask Thy grace]

Teacher Divine, we ask Thy grace,
These sacred leaves to' unfold:
Here, in the Gospel's clearest glass,
Let us Thy face behold.

Show us Thy Sire; for known to Thee
The Father's glories are:
The dread Paternal Majesty
Thou only canst declare.

Open the Scriptures now; reveal
All which for us Thou art:
Talk with us, Lord, and let us feel
The kindling in our heart.

In Thee we languish to be found;
To catch Thy words we bow;
We listen for the quickening sound:
Speak, Lord; we hear Thee now.

ANOTHER.

[Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire]

Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire,
Let us Thy influence prove;
Source of the old prophetic fire,
Fountain of life and love.

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Come, Holy Ghost, (for moved by Thee,
Thy prophets wrote and spoke,)
Unlock the truth, Thyself the Key,
Unseal the Sacred Book.

Expand Thy wings, prolific Dove,
Brood o'er our nature's night;
On our disorder'd spirits move,
And let there now be light.

God through Himself we then shall know,
If Thou within us shine;
And sound, with all Thy saints below,
The depths of love Divine.

BEFORE PREACHING.

Forth in Thy strength, O Lord, I go,
Thy Gospel to proclaim,
Thy only righteousness to show,
And glorify Thy name.

Ordain'd I am, and sent by Thee,
As by the Father Thou:
And, lo! Thou always art with me!
I plead the promise now.

O, give me now to speak Thy word
In this appointed hour;
Attend it with Thy Spirit, Lord,
And let it come with power.

Open the hearts of all that hear,
To make their Saviour room;
Now let them find redemption near,
Let faith by hearing come.

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Give them to hear the word as Thine,
And (while they thus receive)
Prove it the saving power Divine
To sinners that believe.

AFTER PREACHING.

Glory, and praise, and love to Thee,
For this effectual door,
Jesu! who publishest by me
The Gospel to the poor.

Glory to Thy great Name alone,
That life and power imparts:
Now, Lord, Thy genuine Gospel own,
And graft it on their hearts.

Now let them feel the tidings true,
Grant to Thy word success;
Water it with Thy heavenly dew,
And give the wish'd increase.

Savour of life, O, let it prove,
And show their sins forgiven;
Work in them faith, which works by love,
And surely leads to heaven.

HYMN TO GOD THE SANCTIFIER.

Come, Holy Ghost, all-quickening fire,
Come, and my hallow'd heart inspire,
Sprinkled with the atoning blood:

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Now to my soul Thyself reveal;
Thy mighty working let me feel,
And know that I am born of God.

Thy witness with my spirit bear,
That God, my God inhabits there,
Thou, with the Father and the Son,
Eternal Light's coeval Beam.
Be Christ in me, and I in Him,
'Till perfect we are made in one.

When wilt Thou my whole heart subdue?
Come, Lord, and form my soul anew,
Emptied of pride, self-will, and hell:
Less than the least of all Thy store
Of mercies, I myself abhor:
All, all my vileness may I feel.

Humble, and teachable, and mild,
O, may I, as a little child,
My lowly Master's steps pursue:
Be anger to my soul unknown;
Hate, envy, jealousy, be gone!
In love create Thou all things new.

Let earth no more my heart divide;
With Christ may I be crucified,
To Thee with my whole soul aspire;
Dead to the world, and all its toys,
Its idle pomp, and fading joys,
Be Thou alone my one desire.

Be Thou my joy; be Thou my dread;
In battle cover Thou my head,
Nor earth nor hell so shall I fear:

242

So shall I turn my steady face
Want, pain defy, enjoy disgrace,
Glory in dissolution near.

My will be swallow'd up in Thee:
Light in Thy light still may I see,
Beholding Thee with open face;
Call'd the full power of faith to prove,
Let all my hallow'd heart be love,
And all my spotless life be praise.

Come, Holy Ghost, all-quickening fire,
My consecrated heart inspire,
Sprinkled with the atoning blood:
Still to my soul Thyself reveal;
Thy mighty working may I feel,
And know that I am one with God!

WRITTEN IN SICKNESS.

While sickness shakes the house of clay,
And, sapp'd by pain's continued course,
My nature hastens to decay,
And waits the fever's friendly force:

Whither should my glad soul aspire,
But heavenward to my Saviour's breast?
Wafted on wings of warm desire,
To gain her everlasting rest.

O, when shall I no longer call
This earthly tabernacle mine?
When shall the shatter'd mansion fall,
And rise rebuilt by hands Divine?

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Burden'd beneath this fleshly load,
Earnestly here for ease I groan,
Athirst for Thee the living God,
And ever struggling to be gone.

Where Thou, and only Thou art loved,
Far from the world's insidious art,
Beyond the range of fiends removed,
And safe from my deceitful heart;

There let me rest, and sin no more:
Come quickly, Lord, and end the strife,
Hasten my last, my mortal hour,
Swallow me up in endless life.

Ah! let it not my Lord displease,
That eager thus for death I sue,
Toward the high prize impatient press,
And snatch the crown to conquest due.

Master, Thy greatness wants not me:
O, how should I Thy cause defend!
Captain, release, and set me free;
Here let my useless warfare end.

'Tis not the pain I seek to shun,
The destined cross, and purging fire;
Sin do I fear, and sin alone,
Thee, only Thee do I desire.

For Thee, within myself, for Thee
I groan, and for the' adoption wait,
When death shall set my spirit free,
And make my liberty complete.

244

No longer, then, my Lord, defer,
From earth and sin to take me home;
Now let my eyes behold Thee near;
Come quickly, O my Saviour, come.

UPON PARTING WITH HIS FRIENDS.

I.

Cease, foolish heart, thy fond complaints,
Nor heave with unavailing sighs;
Equal is God to all thy wants,
The hungry soul Himself supplies.
Gladly thy every wish resign;
Thou canst not want, if God is thine.

Stop this full current of thy tears,
Or pour for sin the' ennobled flood:
Look up, my soul, shake off thy fears,
Or fear to lose a gracious God:
To Him, thy only rest, return;
In vain for Him thou canst not mourn.

Still vex'd and troubled is my heart?
Still wails my soul the penal loss?
Lingering I groan with all to part,
I groan to bear the grievous cross;
The grievous cross I fain would fly,
Or sink beneath its weight, and die.

Sad soothing thought! to lose my cares,
And silently resign my breath!
Cut off a length of wretched years,
And steal an unsuspected death;

245

Now to lay down my weary head,
And lift it—free among the dead!

When will the dear deliverance come?
Period of all my pain and strife!
O that my soul, which gasps for home,
Which struggles in the toils of life,
Ease and a resting-place could find,
And leave this world of woe behind!

O that the bitterness were past,
The pain of life's long lingering hour!
While snatch'd from passion's furious blast,
And saved from sorrow's baleful power,
I mock the storm, outride the wave,
And gain the harbour of the grave.

Bless'd, peaceful state! where, lull'd to sleep,
The sufferer's woes shall all be o'er!
There plaintive grief no more shall weep,
Remembrance there shall vex no more;
Nor fond excess, nor pining care,
Nor loss, nor parting shall be there!

II.

O, holy, holy, holy Lord!
Righteous in all Thy ways art Thou!
I yield and tremble at Thy word,
Beneath Thy mighty hand I bow;
I own, while humbled in the dust,
I own the punishment is just.

Joy of my eyes the creature was;
Desired;—but, O! desired for Thee!
Why feel I then the' embitter'd loss?
Late, in Thy judgment's light, I see

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Whom now Thy stroke hath far removed,
I loved—alas! too dearly loved!

And can I see my comfort gone,
(My all of comfort here below,)
And not allow a parting groan,
And not permit my tears to flow?
Can I forbear to mourn and cry?
No—let me rather weep and die.

Dear, lovely, gracious souls, to me
Pleasant your friendliness has been;
So strange your love, from dross so free,
The Fountain in the stream was seen;
From heaven the pure affection flow'd,
And led, from whom it sprang, to God.

To Him through earth-born cares ye pass,
To Him your loosen'd souls aspire:
Glory to God's victorious grace!
O, could I catch the sacred fire,
Your shining steps from far pursue,
And love, and weep, and part like you!

Partners of all my griefs and joys,
Help me to cast on God my care,
To make His will my only choice,
Away the dear right eye to tear,
The wise decree with you to' adore,
To trust, submit, and grieve no more.

O, let your prayers the Saviour move,
In love my spirit to renew!
O, could I taste the Saviour's love,
Gladly I then should part with you;
My all triumphantly resign,
And lodge you in the arms Divine.

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III.

Why should a sinful man complain,
When mildly chasten'd for his good?
Start from the salutary pain,
And tremble at a Father's rod?
Why should I grieve His hand to' endure,
Or murmur to accept my cure?

Beneath the' afflictive stroke I fall,
And struggle to give up my will;
Weeping I own 'tis mercy all;
Mercy pursues and holds me still,
Kindly refuses to depart,
And strongly vindicates my heart.

Humbly I now the rod revere,
And mercy in the judgment find;
'Tis God afflicts; I own Him near;
'Tis He, 'tis He severely kind,
Watches my soul with jealous care,
Disdainful of a rival there.

'Tis hence my ravish'd friends I mourn,
And grief weighs down my weary head;
Far from my bleeding bosom torn,
The dear, loved, dangerous joys are fled:
Hence my complaining never ends,—
O! I have lost my friends, my friends!

Long my reluctant folly held,
Nor gave them to my God's command;
Hardly at length constrain'd to yield;
For, O! the angel seized my hand,
Broke off my grasp, forbad my stay,
And forced my lingering soul away.

248

Yes; the divorce at last is made,
My soul is crush'd beneath the blow;
The judgment falls, so long delay'd,
And lays my stubborn spirit low;
My hope expires, my comfort ends:
O! I have lost my friends, my friends!

IV.

How shall I lift my guilty eyes,
Or dare appear before Thy face,—
When, deaf to mercy's loudest cries,
I long have wearied out Thy grace,
Withstood Thy power, and cross'd Thy art,
Nor heard, “My son, give Me thy heart?”

How could I, Lord, hold out so long,
So long Thy striving Spirit grieve!
Forgive me the despiteful wrong:
Behold, my all for Thee I leave;
The whole, the whole I here restore,
And fondly keep back part no more.

Lo! I cut off the dear right hand,
Ashamed I should so late obey;
Pluck out my eye at Thy command,
And cast the bleeding orb away;
Lo, with my last reserve I part,
I give, I give Thee all my heart.

My heart, my will I here resign,
My life, my more than life for Thee:
Take back my friends, no longer mine;
Bless'd be the love that lent them me:
Bless'd be the kind, revoking word;
Thy will be done, Thy name adored!

249

Henceforth Thy only will I choose,
To Christ I die, to Christ I live;
Had I a thousand lives to lose,
Had I a thousand friends to give,
All, all I would to Thee restore,
And grieve that I could give no more.

V.

Jesus, in whom the weary find
Their late and permanent repose;
Physician of the sin-sick mind,
Relieve my wants, assuage my woes;
And let my soul on Thee be cast,
'Till life's fierce tyranny be past.

Loosed from my God, and far removed,
Long have I wander'd to and fro,
O'er earth in endless circles roved,
Nor found whereon to rest below:
Back to my God at last I fly,
For, O! the waters still are high.

Selfish pursuits, and nature's maze,
The things of earth, for Thee I leave;
Put forth Thy hand, Thy hand of grace,
Into the ark of love receive;
Take this poor fluttering soul to rest,
And lodge it, Saviour, in Thy breast.

Fill with inviolable peace,
'Stablish, and keep my settled heart;
In Thee may all my wanderings cease,
From Thee no more may I depart,
Thy utmost goodness call'd to prove,
Loved with an everlasting love.

250

MOURNING.

When, gracious Lord, ah, tell me when
Shall I into myself retire?
To Thee discover all my pain,
And show my troubled heart's desire?

I long to pour out all my soul,
Sorrow, and sin's just weight to feel;
To smart till Thou hast made me whole,
To mourn till Thou hast said, “Be still.”

Sick of desire, for Thee I cry,
And, weary of forbearing, groan:
Horror and sin are ever nigh,
My comfort and my God are gone.

Trembling in dread suspense I stand;
Sinking, and falling into sin,
Till Thou reach out Thy mighty hand,
And snatch me from this hell within.

Fain would I rise, and get me hence,
From every fond engagement free,—
Pleasure, and praise, and wealth, and sense,
And all that holds me back from Thee.

O that the mild and peaceful dove
Would lend his wings to aid my flight!
Soon would I then far off remove,
And hide me from this hateful light,—

Where none but the all-seeing eye
Could mark or interrupt my grief;
No human comforter be nigh,
To torture me with vain relief.

251

Far in some lonely, desert place,
For ever, ever would I sit,
Languish to see the Saviour's face,
And perish, weeping at His feet.

O, what is life without my God!
A burden more than I can bear:
I struggle to throw off the load,
Me from myself I strive to tear.

I ever gasp in Christ to live;
O that to me the grace were given!
Had I Thy heaven and earth to give,
I'd buy Thee with Thy earth and heaven.

Let me—I know not how to pray;
My anguish cannot be exprest:
Jesu, Thou seest what I would say;
O, let Thy bowels speak the rest!

ROMANS VII. 24, 25.

Father of mercies, God of love,
Whose bowels of compassion move
To sinful worms, whose arms embrace,
And strain to hold a struggling race!

With me still let Thy Spirit strive;
Have patience, till my heart I give;
Assist me to obey Thy call,
And give me power to pay Thee all.

If now my nature's weight I feel,
And groan to render up my will,
Not long the kind relentings stay,
The morning vapour fleets away.

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A monster to myself I am,
Ashamed to feel no deeper shame;
Pain'd, that my pain so soon is o'er,
And grieved that I can grieve no more.

O, who shall save the man of sin?
O, when shall end this war within?
How shall my captive soul break through?
Who shall attempt my rescue? Who?

A wretch from sin and death set free?—
Answer, O, answer, Christ, for me,
The grace of an accepting God,
The virtue of a Saviour's blood.

ROMANS VII. 24.

“Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Thou Son of God, Thou Son of man,
Whose eyes are as a flame of fire,
With kind concern regard my pain,
And mark my labouring heart's desire!

Its inmost folds are known to Thee,
Its secret plague I need not tell;
Nor can I hide, nor can I flee
The sin I ever groan to feel.

My soul it easily besets;
About my bed, about my way,
My soul at every turn it meets,
And half persuades me to obey.

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Nothing I am, and nothing have,
Nothing my helplessness can do;
But Thou art good, and strong to save,
And all that seek may find Thee true.

How shall I ask, and ask aright?
My lips refuse my heart to' obey:
But all my wants are in Thy sight;
My wants, my fears, my sorrows pray.

I want Thy love, I fear Thy frown,
My own foul sin I grieve to see:
To' escape its force, would now sink down,
And die, if death could set me free.

Yet, O, I cannot burst my chain,
Or fly the body of this death:
Immured in flesh I still remain,
And gasp a purer air to breathe.

I groan to break my prison-walls,
And quit the tenement of clay;
Nor yet the shatter'd mansion falls,
Nor yet my soul escapes away.

Ah, Lord! Wouldst Thou within me live,
No longer then should I complain,
Nor sighing wish, nor weeping grieve
For Christ my life, or death my gain.

From grief and sin I then should cease;
My loosen'd tongue should then declare
Comfort, and love, and joy, and peace,
Fill all the soul when Christ is there!

254

PSALM CXLIII. 6.

“My soul gaspeth for Thee, as a thirsty land.”

Lord, how long, how long shall I
Lift my weary eyes in pain?
Seek, but never find Thee nigh;
Ask Thy love, but ask in vain?
Crush'd beneath my nature's load,
Darkly feeling after God!

O, disclose Thy lovely face,
Quicken all my drooping powers!
Gasps my fainting soul for grace,
As a thirsty land for showers:
Haste, my Lord, no longer stay;
Come, my Jesus, come away!

Well Thou know'st I cannot rest,
Till I fully rest in Thee,
Till I am of Thee possess'd,
Till from every sin set free,
All the life of faith I prove,
All the joy and heaven of love.

See my sad inconstant state;
Give me, Lord, this root within:
Trembling for Thy love I wait,
Still relapsing into sin;
Falling, till Thy love I feel,
Ever sinking into hell.

With me, O, continue, Lord!
Keep me, or from Thee I fly:
Strength and comfort from Thy Word
Imperceptibly supply;

255

Hold me till I apprehend,
Make me faithful to the end.

LONGING AFTER CHRIST.

Jesu, the Strength of all that faint,
When wilt Thou hear my sad complaint?
Jesu, the weary wanderer's Rest,
When wilt Thou take me to Thy breast?

My spirit mourns, by Thee forgot,
And droops my heart, where Thou art not:
My soul is all an aching void,
And pines, and thirsts, and gasps for God.

The pain of absence still I prove,
Sick of desire, but not of love:
Weary of life, I ever groan,
I long to lay the burden down.

'Tis burden all, and pain, and strife:
O, give me love, and take my life!
Jesu, my only want supply;
O, let me taste Thy love, and die!

PSALM CXXX.

Out of the depths of self-despair
To Thee, O Lord, I cry:
My misery mark, attend my prayer,
And bring salvation nigh.

Death's sentence in myself I feel;
Beneath Thy wrath I faint:
O, let Thine ear consider well
The voice of my complaint.

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If Thou art rigorously severe,
Who may the test abide?
Where shall the man of sin appear,
Or how be justified?

But, O! forgiveness is with Thee,
That sinners may adore,
With filial fear Thy goodness see,
And never grieve Thee more.

I look to see His lovely face,
I wait to meet my Lord;
My longing soul expects His grace,
And rests upon His word.

My soul, while still to Him it flies,
Prevents the morning ray:
O that His mercy's beams would rise,
And bring the Gospel-day!

Ye faithful souls, confide in God;
Mercy with Him remains;
Plenteous redemption in His blood
To wash out all your stains.

His Israel Himself shall clear,
From all their sins redeem:
The Lord our Righteousness is near,
And we are just in Him.

IN TEMPTATION.

Sinking underneath my load,
Darkly feeling after Thee,
Let me ask, My God, my God,
Why hast Thou forsaken me?

257

Why, O, why am I forgot?
Lord, I seek, but find Thee not.

Still I ask, nor yet receive,
Knock at the unopen'd door;
Still I struggle to believe,
Hope, though urged to hope no more,
Bearing what I cannot bear,
Yielding, fighting with despair.

Hear in mercy my complaint,
Hear, and hasten to my aid;
Help, or utterly I faint,
Fails the spirit Thou hast made;
Save me, or my foe prevails;
Save me, or Thy promise fails.

Struggling in the fowler's snare,
Lo! I ever look to Thee:
Tempted more than I can bear—
No, my soul, it cannot be;
True and faithful is the word,
Sure the coming of thy Lord.

Come, then, O my Saviour, come!
God of truth, no longer stay;
God of love, dispel the gloom,
Point me out the promised way,
Let me from the trial fly,
Sink into Thy arms, and die!

Waft me to that happy shore,
Port of ease, and end of care:
All thy storms shall there be o'er,
Sin shall never reach me there,
Surely of my God possess'd,
Safe in my Redeemer's breast!

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MATTHEW V. 3, 4, 6.

Jesu, if still the same Thou art,
If all Thy promises are sure,
Set up Thy kingdom in my heart,
And make me rich, for I am poor:
To me be all Thy treasures given,
The kingdom of an inward heaven.

Thou hast pronounced the mourner blest,
And, lo! for Thee I ever mourn:
I cannot,—no! I will not rest,
Till Thou my only Rest return;
Till Thou, the Prince of Peace, appear,
And I receive the Comforter.

Where is the blessedness bestow'd
On all that hunger after Thee?
I hunger now, I thirst for God!
See, the poor, fainting sinner see,
And satisfy with endless peace,
And fill me with Thy righteousness.

Ah, Lord!—If Thou art in that sigh,
Then hear Thyself within me pray.
Hear in my heart Thy Spirit's cry,
Mark what my labouring soul would say;
Answer the deep, unutter'd groan,
And show that Thou and I are one.

Shine on Thy work, disperse the gloom,
Light in Thy light I then shall see:
Say to my soul, “Thy light is come,
Glory Divine is risen on thee,

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Thy warfare's past, thy mourning's o'er:
Look up; for thou shalt weep no more.”

Lord, I believe the promise sure,
And trust Thou wilt not long delay;
Hungry, and sorrowful, and poor,
Upon Thy word myself I stay;
Into Thy hands my all resign,
And wait—till all Thou art is mine!

IN TEMPTATION.

Jesu, Lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high:
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
O, receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee:
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stay'd;
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenceless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not regard my call?
Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—
Lo! on Thee I cast my care:

260

Reach me out Thy gracious hand!
While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand,
Dying, and, behold, I live!

Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
More than all in Thee I find:
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy name,
I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am,
Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin:
Let the healing streams abound,
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the Fountain art:
Freely let me take of Thee,
Spring Thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity!

MATTHEW I. 21.

“He shall save His people from their sins.”

Jesus, in whom the Godhead's rays
Beam forth with milder majesty,
I see Thee full of truth and grace,
And come for all I want to Thee.

Wrathful, impure, and proud I am,
Nor constancy, nor strength I have:
But Thou, O Lord, art still the same,
And hast not lost Thy power to save.

261

Save me from pride, the plague expel;
Jesu, Thy humble self impart;
O, let Thy mind within me dwell;
O, give me lowliness of heart.

Enter Thyself, and cast out sin;
Thy spotless purity bestow;
Touch me, and make the leper clean;
Wash me, and I am white as snow.

Fury is not in Thee, my God:
O, why should it be found in Thine!
Sprinkle me, Saviour, with Thy blood,
And all Thy gentleness is mine.

Pour but Thy blood upon the flame,
Meek, and dispassionate, and mild,
The leopard sinks into a lamb,
And I become a little child.

DESIRING CHRIST.

Where shall I lay my weary head?
Where shall I hide me from my shame?
From all I feel, and all I dread,
And all I have, and all I am!
Swift to outstrip the stormy wind,
And leave this cursed self behind.

O the intolerable load
Of nature, waken'd to pursue
The footsteps of a distant God,
Till faith hath form'd the soul anew!
'Tis death, 'tis more than death to bear—
I cannot live, till God is here.

262

Give me Thy wings, celestial Dove,
And help me from myself to fly;
Then shall my soul far off remove,
The tempest's idle rage defy,
From sin, from sorrow, and from strife
Escaped, and hid in Christ, my Life.

Stranger on earth, I sojourn here:
Yet, O, on earth I cannot rest,
Till Thou, my hidden Life, appear,
And sweetly take me to Thy breast:
To Thee my wishes all aspire,
And sighs for Thee my whole desire.

Search and try out my panting heart:
Surely, my Lord, it pants for Thee,
Jealous lest earth should claim a part:
Thine, wholly Thine, I gasp to be.
Thou know'st 'tis all I live to prove;
Thou know'st I only want Thy love.

“THESE THINGS WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR INSTRUCTION.”

Jesu, if still Thou art to-day
As yesterday the same,
Present to heal, in me display
The virtue of Thy name.

If still Thou goest about, to do
Thy needy creatures good,
On me, that I Thy praise may show,
Be all Thy wonders show'd.

263

Now, Lord, to whom for help I call,
Thy miracles repeat;
With pitying eyes behold me fall
A leper at Thy feet.

Loathsome, and foul, and self-abhorr'd,
I sink beneath my sin;
But if Thou wilt, a gracious word
Of Thine can make me clean.

Thou seest me deaf to Thy commands,
Open, O Lord, my ear;
Bid me stretch out my wither'd hands,
And lift them up in prayer.

Silent, (alas! Thou know'st how long,)
My voice I cannot raise;
But, O! when Thou shalt loose my tongue,
The dumb shall sing Thy praise.

Lame at the pool I still am found:
Give, and my strength employ;
Light as a hart I then shall bound,
The lame shall leap for joy.

Blind from my birth to guilt and Thee,
And dark I am within;
The love of God I cannot see,
The sinfulness of sin.

But Thou, they say, art passing by;
O, let me find Thee near:
Jesus, in mercy hear my cry!
Thou Son of David, hear!

Long have I waited in the way
For Thee the Heavenly Light:
Command me to be brought, and say,
“Sinner, receive thy sight.”

264

While dead in trespasses I lie,
The quick'ning Spirit give;
Call me, Thou Son of God, that I
May hear Thy voice, and live.

While, full of anguish and disease,
My weak, distemper'd soul
Thy love compassionately sees,
O, let it make me whole.

While torn by hellish pride, I cry,
By legion-lust possess'd,
Son of the living God, draw nigh,
And speak me into rest.

Cast out Thy foes, and let them still
To Jesu's name submit;
Clothe with Thy righteousness, and heal,
And place me at Thy feet.

To Jesu's name if all things now
A trembling homage pay,
O, let my stubborn spirit bow,
My stiff-neck'd will obey.

Impotent, dumb, and deaf, and blind,
And sick, and poor I am;
But sure a remedy to find
For all in Jesu's name.

I know in Thee all fulness dwells,
And all for wretched man:
Fill every want my spirit feels,
And break off every chain.

If Thou impart Thyself to me,
No other good I need;
If Thou the Son shalt make me free,
I shall be free indeed.

265

I cannot rest, till in Thy blood
I full redemption have;
But Thou, through whom I come to God,
Canst to the utmost save.

From sin, the guilt, the power, the pain,
Thou wilt redeem my soul.
Lord, I believe; and not in vain:
My faith shall make me whole.

I too with Thee shall walk in white;
With all Thy saints shall prove,
What is the length, and breadth, and height,
And depth of perfect love.

I THIRST, THOU WOUNDED LAMB OF GOD.

From the German.

I thirst, Thou wounded Lamb of God,
To wash me in Thy cleansing blood,
To dwell within Thy wounds; then pain
Is sweet, and life or death is gain.

Take my poor heart, and let it be
For ever closed to all but Thee!
Seal Thou my breast, and let me wear
That pledge of love for ever there.

How blest are they who still abide
Close shelter'd in Thy bleeding side;
Who life and strength from thence derive,
And by Thee move, and in Thee live!

266

What are our works but sin and death,
Till Thou Thy quick'ning Spirit breathe?
Thou giv'st the power Thy grace to move—
O wondrous grace! O boundless love!

How can it be, Thou Heavenly King,
That Thou shouldst us to glory bring?
Make slaves the partners of Thy throne,
Deck'd with a never-fading crown?

Hence our hearts melt, our eyes o'erflow,
Our words are lost: nor will we know,
Nor will we think of aught, beside
“My Lord, my Love is crucified.”

Ah, Lord! enlarge our scanty thought,
To know the wonders Thou hast wrought!
Unloose our stammering tongue, to tell
Thy love, immense, unsearchable!

First-born of many brethren Thou!
To Thee, lo! all our souls we bow:
To Thee our hearts and hands we give:
Thine may we die; Thine may we live.

THE RESIGNATION.

And wilt Thou yet be found?
And may I still draw near?
Then listen to the plaintive sound
Of a poor sinner's prayer.

Jesu, Thine aid afford,
If still the same Thou art;
To Thee I look, to Thee, my Lord;
Lift up an helpless heart.

267

Thou seest my tortured breast,
The strugglings of my will,
The foes that interrupt my rest,
The agonies I feel:

The daily death I prove,
Saviour, to Thee is known:
'Tis worse than death, my God to love,
And not my God alone.

My peevish passions chide,
Who only canst control,
Canst turn the stream of nature's tide,
And calm my troubled soul.

O my offended Lord,
Restore my inward peace:
I know Thou canst: pronounce the word,
And bid the tempest cease.

Abate the purging fire,
And draw me to my good;
Allay the fever of desire,
By sprinkling me with blood.

I long to see Thy face,
Thy Spirit I implore,
The living water of Thy grace,
That I may thirst no more.

When shall Thy love constrain,
And force me to Thy breast?
When shall my soul return again
To her eternal rest?

Ah! what avails my strife,
My wandering to and fro?
Thou hast the words of endless life;
Ah! whither should I go?

268

Thy condescending grace
To me did freely move:
It calls me still to seek Thy face,
And stoops to ask my love.

Lord, at Thy feet I fall,
I groan to be set free;
I fain would now obey the call,
And give up all for Thee.

To rescue me from woe,
Thou didst with all things part;
Didst lead a suffering life below,
To gain my worthless heart.

My worthless heart to gain,
The God of all that breathe
Was found in fashion as a man,
And died a cursed death.

And can I yet delay
My little all to give?
To tear my soul from earth away,
For Jesus to receive?

Nay, but I yield, I yield!
I can hold out no more;
I sink, by dying love compell'd,
And own Thee conqueror.

Though late, I all forsake,
My friends, my life resign:
Gracious Redeemer, take, O, take
And seal me ever Thine.

Come, and possess me whole,
Nor hence again remove;
Settle, and fix my wavering soul,
With all Thy weight of love.

269

My one desire is this,
Thy only love to know,
To seek and taste no other bliss,
No other good below.

My Life, my Portion Thou,
Thou all-sufficient art;
My Hope, my heavenly Treasure, now
Enter, and keep my heart.

Rather than let it burn
For earth, O, quench its heat;
Then, when it would to earth return,
O, let it cease to beat.

Snatch me from ill to come;
When I from Thee would fly,
O, take my wandering spirit home,
And grant me then to die!

A PRAYER AGAINST THE POWER OF SIN.

O that Thou wouldst the heavens rent,
In majesty come down!
Stretch out Thine arm omnipotent,
And seize me for Thine own.

Descend, and let Thy lightning burn
The stubble of Thy foe;
My sins o'erturn, o'erturn, o'erturn,
And let the mountains flow.

Thou my impetuous spirit guide,
And curb my headstrong will.
Thou only canst drive back the tide,
And bid the sun stand still.

270

What though I cannot break my chain,
Or e'er throw off my load?
The things impossible with men
Are possible to God.

Is anything too hard for Thee,
Almighty Lord of all,
Whose threatening looks dry up the sea,
And make the mountains fall?

Who, who shall in Thy presence stand,
And match Omnipotence?
Ungrasp the hold of Thy right hand,
Or pluck the sinner thence?

Sworn to destroy, let earth assail;
Nearer to save Thou art;
Stronger than all the powers of hell,
And greater than my heart.

Lo! to the hills I lift mine eye,
Thy promised aid I claim:
Father of Mercies, glorify
Thyself in Jesu's name.

Salvation in that Name is found,
Balm of my grief and care,
A medicine for my every wound,
All, all I want is there.

Jesu! Redeemer, Saviour, Lord,
The weary sinner's Friend,
Come to my help, pronounce the word,
And bid my troubles end.

Deliverance to my soul proclaim,
And life and liberty;
Shed forth the virtue of Thy Name,
And Jesus prove to me.

271

Faith to be heal'd Thou know'st I have;
For Thou that faith hast given:
Thou canst, Thou canst the sinner save,
And make me meet for heaven.

Thou canst o'ercome this heart of mine,
Thou wilt victorious prove;
For everlasting strength is Thine,
And everlasting love.

Thy powerful Spirit shall subdue
Unconquerable sin;
Cleanse this foul heart, and make it new,
And write Thy law within.

Bound down with twice ten thousand ties,
Yet let me hear Thy call,
My soul in confidence shall rise,
Shall rise and break through all.

Speak, and the deaf shall hear Thy voice,
The blind his sight receive,
The dumb in songs of praise rejoice,
The heart of stone believe.

The Ethiop then shall change his skin,
The dead shall feel Thy power,
The loathsome leper shall be clean,
And I shall sin no more!

AFTER A RELAPSE INTO SIN.

Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear;
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

272

I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

I my Master have denied,
I afresh have crucified,
Oft profaned His hallow'd name,
Put Him to an open shame.

I have spilt His precious blood,
Trampled on the Son of God,
Fill'd with pangs unspeakable,
I—and yet am not in hell.

Lo! I cumber still the ground!
Lo! an Advocate is found,
“Hasten not to cut him down,
Let this barren soul alone.”

Jesus speaks, and pleads His blood;
He disarms the wrath of God;
Now my Father's bowels move,
Justice lingers into love.

Kindled His relentings are;
Me He now delights to spare;
Cries, “How shall I give thee up?”
Lets the lifted thunder drop.

Whence to me this waste of love?
Ask my Advocate above;
See the cause in Jesu's face,
Now before the throne of grace.

There for me the Saviour stands,
Shows His wounds, and spreads His hands!

273

God is love: I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps! but loves me still!

Jesus! answer from above,
Is not all Thy nature love?
Wilt Thou not the wrong forget,
Suffer me to kiss Thy feet?

If I rightly read Thy heart,
If Thou all compassion art,
Bow Thine ear, in mercy bow,
Pardon, and accept me now.

Pity from Thine eye let fall;
By a look my soul recall;
Now the stone to flesh convert,
Cast a look, and break my heart.

Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my fall lament;
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more!

WRITTEN IN STRESS OF TEMPTATION.

I am the man who long have known
The fierceness of temptation's rage!
And still to God for help I groan:
When shall my groans His help engage?

Out of the deep on Christ I call,
In bitterness of spirit cry;
Broken upon that Stone I fall,
I fall,—the chief of sinners I.

274

Saviour of men, my sad complaint
Let me into Thy bosom pour;
Beneath my load of sin I faint,
And hell is ready to devour.

A devil to myself I am,
Yet cannot 'scape the flesh I tear;
Beast, fiend, and legion is my name,
My lot the blackness of despair.

Why then in this unequal strife,
To Tophet's utmost margin driven,
Still gasps my parting soul for life,
Nor quite gives up her claim to heaven?

Why hopes for help my drooping heart,
(Hopes against hope,) when none is nigh?
I cannot from my Lord depart,
But kiss the feet at which I die.

My Lord, (I still will call Thee mine,
Till sentenced to eternal pain,)
Thou wouldest not Thy cup decline,
The vengeance due to guilty man.

My sufferings all to Thee are known,
Tempted in every point like me:
Regard my griefs, regard Thine own:
Jesu! remember Calvary!

O, call to mind Thy earnest prayers,
Thine agony and sweat of blood,
Thy strong and bitter cries and tears,
Thy mortal groan, “My God! My God!”

For whom didst Thou the cross endure?
Who nail'd Thy body to the tree?
Did not Thy death my life procure?
O, let Thy bowels answer me!

275

Art Thou not touch'd with human woe?
Hath pity left the Son of Man?
Dost Thou not all our sorrow know,
And claim a share in all our pain?

Canst Thou forget Thy days of flesh?
Canst Thou my miseries not feel?
Thy tender heart—it bleeds afresh!
It bleeds!—and Thou art Jesus still!

I feel, I feel Thee now the same,
Kindled Thy kind relentings are;
These meltings from Thy bowels came,
Thy Spirit groan'd this inward prayer.

Thy prayer is heard, Thy will is done!
Light in Thy light at length I see;
Thou wilt preserve my soul Thine own,
And show forth all Thy power in me.

My peace returns, my fears retire,
I find Thee lifting up my head;
Trembling I now to heaven aspire,
And hear the voice that wakes the dead.

Have I not heard, have I not known,
That Thou, the Everlasting Lord,
Whom earth and heaven their Maker own,
Art always faithful to Thy word?

Thou wilt not break a bruised reed,
Or quench the faintest spark of grace,
Till through the soul Thy power is spread,
Thy all-victorious righteousness.

With labour faint Thou wilt not fail,
Or wearied give the sinner o'er,
Till in this earth Thy judgment dwell,
And, born of God, I sin no more.

276

The day of small and feeble things
I know Thou never wilt despise;
I know, with healing in His wings,
The Sun of Righteousness shall rise.

My heart Thou wilt anew create,
The fulness of Thy Spirit give:
In steadfast hope for this I wait,
And confident in Christ believe.

MICAH VI. 6, &c.

Wherewith, O God, shall I draw near,
And bow myself before Thy face?
How in Thy purer eyes appear?
What shall I bring to gain Thy grace?

Will gifts delight the Lord Most High?
Will multiplied oblations please?
Thousands of rams His favour buy,
Or slaughter'd hecatombs appease?

Can these assuage the wrath of God?
Can these wash out my guilty stain?
Rivers of oil, and seas of blood!
Alas! they all must flow in vain.

Shall I my darling Isaac give,—
Whate'er is dearest in my eyes?
Wilt Thou my soul and flesh receive
A holy, living sacrifice?

277

Whoe'er to Thee themselves approve,
Must take the path Thy Word hath show'd,
Justice pursue, and mercy love,
And humbly walk by faith with God.

But though my life henceforth be Thine,
Future for past can ne'er atone;
Though I to Thee the whole resign,
I only give Thee back Thine own.

My hand performs, my heart aspires,
But Thou my works hast wrought in me;
I render Thee Thine own desires,
I breathe what first were breathed from Thee.

What have I then wherein to trust?
I nothing have, I nothing am:
Excluded is my every boast,
My glory swallow'd up in shame.

Guilty I stand before Thy face;
I feel on me Thy wrath abide:
'Tis just the sentence should take place:
'Tis just—but, O! Thy Son hath died!

Jesus, the Lamb of God, hath bled,
He bore our sins upon the tree,
Beneath our curse He bow'd His head,
'Tis finish'd! He hath died for me!

For me I now believe He died!
He made my every crime His own,
Fully for me He satisfied:
Father, well-pleased behold Thy Son!

278

See where before the throne He stands,
And pours the all-prevailing prayer,
Points to His side, and lifts His hands,
And shows that I am graven there.

He ever lives for me to pray;
He prays that I with Him may reign:
Amen to what my Lord doth say!
Jesu, Thou canst not pray in vain.

University of Virginia Library

I. PART I.

THE FIFTY-FIFTH CHAPTER OF ISAIAH.

THE LIFE OF FAITH,

Exemplified in the Eleventh Chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews.

VERSE I.

VERSES II., III.

VERSE IV.

VERSES V., VI.

VERSE VII.

VERSES VIII., IX., X.

VERSES XI., XII.

VERSES XIII., XIV., XV., XVI.

VERSES XVII., XVIII., XIX.

VERSES XX., XXI., XXII.

VERSES XXIII., XXIV., XXV., XXVI., XXVII., XXVIII.

VERSE XXIX.

VERSES XXX.–XXXV.

VERSES XXXV.–XXXVII.

VERSES XXXVII., XXXVIII.

VERSES XXXIX., XL.

BUSINESS.

Altered from Herbert.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS.

THE SAME.

[God of Love, incline Thine ear!]

A MORNING HYMN.

ANOTHER.

[Jesus, the all-restoring Word]

AN EVENING HYMN.

TO THE REV. MR. WHITEFIELD.

TO THE SAME, BEFORE HIS VOYAGE

A HYMN, TO BE SUNG AT SEA.

IN A STORM.

ZECHARIAH XII. 10.

From the German.

THE MEANS OF GRACE.

WAITING FOR CHRIST.

BEFORE READING THE SCRIPTURES.

ANOTHER.

[Teacher Divine, we ask Thy grace]

ANOTHER.

[Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire]

BEFORE PREACHING.

AFTER PREACHING.

HYMN TO GOD THE SANCTIFIER.

WRITTEN IN SICKNESS.

UPON PARTING WITH HIS FRIENDS.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

MOURNING.

ROMANS VII. 24, 25.

ROMANS VII. 24.

PSALM CXLIII. 6.

LONGING AFTER CHRIST.

PSALM CXXX.

IN TEMPTATION.

MATTHEW V. 3, 4, 6.

IN TEMPTATION.

MATTHEW I. 21.

DESIRING CHRIST.

“THESE THINGS WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR INSTRUCTION.”

I THIRST, THOU WOUNDED LAMB OF GOD.

From the German.

THE RESIGNATION.

A PRAYER AGAINST THE POWER OF SIN.

AFTER A RELAPSE INTO SIN.

WRITTEN IN STRESS OF TEMPTATION.

MICAH VI. 6, &c.