 | The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
HYMNS ON THE EXPECTED INVASION.
149
HYMN I.
[Let God, the mighty God]
1
Let God, the mighty God,
The Lord of hosts arise,
With terror clad, with strength endued,
And rent, and bow the skies!
Call'd down by faithful prayer,
Saviour, appear below,
Thy hand lift up, Thine arm make bare,
And quell Thy church's foe.
The Lord of hosts arise,
With terror clad, with strength endued,
And rent, and bow the skies!
Call'd down by faithful prayer,
Saviour, appear below,
Thy hand lift up, Thine arm make bare,
And quell Thy church's foe.
Our refuge in distress,
In danger's darkest hour,
Appear as in the ancient days
With full redeeming power;
That Thy redeem'd may sing
In glad triumphant strains,
The Lord is God, the Lord is King,
The Lord for ever reigns!
In danger's darkest hour,
Appear as in the ancient days
With full redeeming power;
That Thy redeem'd may sing
In glad triumphant strains,
The Lord is God, the Lord is King,
The Lord for ever reigns!
2
We with our ears have heard,
Our fathers us have told
The work that in their days appear'd,
And in the times of old;
The mighty wonders wrought
By Heaven in their defence,
When Jacob's God for Britain fought
And chased the' invaders hence.
Our fathers us have told
The work that in their days appear'd,
And in the times of old;
150
By Heaven in their defence,
When Jacob's God for Britain fought
And chased the' invaders hence.
Vainly invincible
Their fleets the seas did ride,
And doom'd our sires to death and hell,
And Israel's God defied:
But with His wind He blew,
But with His waves He rose,
And dash'd, and scatter'd, and o'erthrew,
And swallow'd up His foes.
Their fleets the seas did ride,
And doom'd our sires to death and hell,
And Israel's God defied:
But with His wind He blew,
But with His waves He rose,
And dash'd, and scatter'd, and o'erthrew,
And swallow'd up His foes.
3
Jesus, Jehovah, Lord,
Thy wonted aid we claim;
Not trusting in our bow and sword,
But in Thy saving Name:
Thy Name the mighty tower,
From whence our foes we see
Ready our country to devour,
Without a nod from Thee.
Thy wonted aid we claim;
Not trusting in our bow and sword,
But in Thy saving Name:
Thy Name the mighty tower,
From whence our foes we see
Ready our country to devour,
Without a nod from Thee.
Thou wilt not give us up
A prey unto their teeth,
But blast their aim, confound their hope,
Their league with hell and death;
With such deliverance bless
Whom Thou hast chose for Thine,
That we, and Europe, may confess
The work is all Divine!
A prey unto their teeth,
But blast their aim, confound their hope,
Their league with hell and death;
With such deliverance bless
Whom Thou hast chose for Thine,
That we, and Europe, may confess
The work is all Divine!
151
HYMN II.
[God of unbounded power]
1
God of unbounded power,
God of unwearied love,
Be present in our dangerous hour,
Our danger to remove;
To guard our favourite land,
So oft preserved by Thee,
Come, Lord, and in the channel stand,
Come, and block up the sea.
God of unwearied love,
Be present in our dangerous hour,
Our danger to remove;
To guard our favourite land,
So oft preserved by Thee,
Come, Lord, and in the channel stand,
Come, and block up the sea.
Refuse them leave to pass,
Forbid them to draw nigher;
Surround us as a wall of brass,
As battlements of fire.
Our lives, our threaten'd coast
Beneath Thy shadow take,
And turn aside the alien host,
And drive the ruffians back.
Forbid them to draw nigher;
Surround us as a wall of brass,
As battlements of fire.
Our lives, our threaten'd coast
Beneath Thy shadow take,
And turn aside the alien host,
And drive the ruffians back.
2
Or if Thine awful will
Admit our Romish foe,
And force the sleeping crowd to feel
The long-suspended blow;
If justice stern hath pass'd
The' irrevocable doom,
And arm'd with Britain's sins at last
The ravagers must come;
Admit our Romish foe,
And force the sleeping crowd to feel
The long-suspended blow;
If justice stern hath pass'd
The' irrevocable doom,
And arm'd with Britain's sins at last
The ravagers must come;
3
Come then, ye hostile bands,
For one short moment come;
The Man in white shall bind your hands,
Ye murderers of Rome:
If suffer'd from on high
To reach our threaten'd shore,
With bridles in your mouth draw nigh,
And show your bounded power.
For one short moment come;
The Man in white shall bind your hands,
Ye murderers of Rome:
If suffer'd from on high
To reach our threaten'd shore,
With bridles in your mouth draw nigh,
And show your bounded power.
Your power to God submits;
He keeps our faithful souls;
Above the water-floods He sits,
And earth and hell controls:
In dangers, deaths, and snares
He lays the sacred line;
Nor can ye touch a man that bears
His Saviour's bloody sign.
He keeps our faithful souls;
Above the water-floods He sits,
And earth and hell controls:
In dangers, deaths, and snares
He lays the sacred line;
Nor can ye touch a man that bears
His Saviour's bloody sign.
HYMN III.
[But will the gracious Lord]
1
But will the gracious Lord,
Who hides us in His breast,
Redeem His servants from the sword,
And give up all the rest?
Wilt Thou Thy fury pour
On the obdurate crowd,
And let the Romish wolf devour
The men that know not God?
Who hides us in His breast,
Redeem His servants from the sword,
And give up all the rest?
Wilt Thou Thy fury pour
On the obdurate crowd,
And let the Romish wolf devour
The men that know not God?
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Bowels Divine, forbid!
Forbid it, heavenly grace!
And let the mourning praying seed
Protect the sinful race:
To Abraham's Son and God,
With Abraham's faith we cry,
O spare a nation in their blood,
Nor let the wicked die.
Forbid it, heavenly grace!
And let the mourning praying seed
Protect the sinful race:
To Abraham's Son and God,
With Abraham's faith we cry,
O spare a nation in their blood,
Nor let the wicked die.
2
Drawn down by public crimes,
If vengeance must take place,
Why, Lord, in our degenerate times
Hast Thou remember'd grace?
Thy kingdom why restored?
What means Thy Spirit's strife,
While thousands by His powerful word
Are pass'd from death to life?
If vengeance must take place,
Why, Lord, in our degenerate times
Hast Thou remember'd grace?
Thy kingdom why restored?
What means Thy Spirit's strife,
While thousands by His powerful word
Are pass'd from death to life?
The tokens of Thy love
On every side we see,
And crowds begotten from above
Stretch out their hands to Thee:
Against this evil day
Ready prepared they stand,
To turn Thy vengeful wrath away,
And save a guilty land.
On every side we see,
And crowds begotten from above
Stretch out their hands to Thee:
Against this evil day
Ready prepared they stand,
To turn Thy vengeful wrath away,
And save a guilty land.
3
Even now with them we meet
Around Thy gracious throne,
And mercy for a land entreat
Where Thou art truly known:
We wrestle for the throng
Who dead in sins abide,
Because the judgment lingers long
Who all Thy threats deride.
Around Thy gracious throne,
And mercy for a land entreat
Where Thou art truly known:
We wrestle for the throng
Who dead in sins abide,
Because the judgment lingers long
Who all Thy threats deride.
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What canst Thou do to save
The souls insensible,
Who madly their destruction brave,
And laugh at death and hell?
They ask the scourge to see,
They bid Thy day make haste,
But public ill, o'erruled by Thee,
Shall turn to good at last.
The souls insensible,
Who madly their destruction brave,
And laugh at death and hell?
They ask the scourge to see,
They bid Thy day make haste,
But public ill, o'erruled by Thee,
Shall turn to good at last.
HYMN IV.
[Here then we calmly rest]
1
Here then we calmly rest,
Whate'er Thy will intend,
It must be for Thy people best,
It must in blessings end:
To those that love the Lord,
And feel Thy sprinkled blood,
Famine, and pestilence, and sword,
Shall jointly work for good.
Whate'er Thy will intend,
It must be for Thy people best,
It must in blessings end:
To those that love the Lord,
And feel Thy sprinkled blood,
Famine, and pestilence, and sword,
Shall jointly work for good.
Our lives are hid with Thine,
Our hairs are number'd all,
Nor can, without the nod Divine,
One worthless sparrow fall:
And shall a nation bleed,
And shall a kingdom fail,
While Thou, O Christ, art Lord and Head,
O'er heaven, and earth, and hell!
Our hairs are number'd all,
Nor can, without the nod Divine,
One worthless sparrow fall:
And shall a nation bleed,
And shall a kingdom fail,
While Thou, O Christ, art Lord and Head,
O'er heaven, and earth, and hell!
2
Beneath Thy wings secure,
In patience we possess
Our souls, and quietly endure
Whate'er our God decrees:
Yet still we cry, Delay
The careless sinner's doom;
And, till the judgment comes, we pray
That it may never come:
In patience we possess
Our souls, and quietly endure
Whate'er our God decrees:
155
The careless sinner's doom;
And, till the judgment comes, we pray
That it may never come:
May never come alone,
But guided by Thy grace
Our vain self-confidence o'erturn,
And all our pride abase.
Who will not see Thy hand,
Thy truth and love adore,
Compel us, Lord, to understand
The thunder of Thy power.
But guided by Thy grace
Our vain self-confidence o'erturn,
And all our pride abase.
Who will not see Thy hand,
Thy truth and love adore,
Compel us, Lord, to understand
The thunder of Thy power.
3
Out of our slumber woke,
Bid all our nation rise,
And bless the providential stroke,
That turn'd us to the skies;
Who walk'd in darkest night,
In death's dread shadow lay,
Show us the great, the glorious light,
The dawn of gospel day.
Bid all our nation rise,
And bless the providential stroke,
That turn'd us to the skies;
Who walk'd in darkest night,
In death's dread shadow lay,
Show us the great, the glorious light,
The dawn of gospel day.
Escaped the hostile sword,
O may we fly to Thee,
And find in our redeeming Lord
Our life and liberty;
Our Strength and Righteousness,
O let us hold Thee fast
With confidence Divine, and peace
That shall for ever last.
O may we fly to Thee,
And find in our redeeming Lord
Our life and liberty;
Our Strength and Righteousness,
O let us hold Thee fast
With confidence Divine, and peace
That shall for ever last.
156
HYMN V. Jeremiah xlvii. 6, 7.
How long, thou weapon of the Lord,
Jehovah's controversial sword,
Before thy slaughters cease?
Put up thyself into thy sheath,
Be still, thou minister of death,
And sleep in endless peace.
Jehovah's controversial sword,
Before thy slaughters cease?
Put up thyself into thy sheath,
Be still, thou minister of death,
And sleep in endless peace.
How can it sleep, when hostile Heaven
A charge hath to His servant given,
Against the British shore?
Appointed by an angry God,
Though drunk with seas of human blood,
The glutton thirsts for more.
A charge hath to His servant given,
Against the British shore?
Appointed by an angry God,
Though drunk with seas of human blood,
The glutton thirsts for more.
Have we not dragg'd the judgment down,
Undaunted at the' Almighty's frown,
Unsoften'd by His grace?
And still we madly close our eyes,
Thy mercy spurn, Thy wrath despise,
And mock Thee to Thy face.
Undaunted at the' Almighty's frown,
Unsoften'd by His grace?
And still we madly close our eyes,
Thy mercy spurn, Thy wrath despise,
And mock Thee to Thy face.
We dare the evil day to come:
“The plots and powers of feeble Rome
Can never here prevail;
Secured by rocks our island stands,
By counsels wise, and valiant bands,
And fleets invincible.
“The plots and powers of feeble Rome
Can never here prevail;
Secured by rocks our island stands,
By counsels wise, and valiant bands,
And fleets invincible.
“Confiding in our fleshly arm,
Shall Gallic armaments alarm,
Or break our firm repose?”
Thy judgments soar beyond our sight,
And therefore with presumptuous slight
We puff at all our foes.
Shall Gallic armaments alarm,
Or break our firm repose?”
157
And therefore with presumptuous slight
We puff at all our foes.
Supinely negligent and proud,
The noble and ignoble crowd
In deadly slumber sleep:
The nation sleeps, of conquest sure,
Stands on a precipice secure,
Nor dreads the yawning deep.
The noble and ignoble crowd
In deadly slumber sleep:
The nation sleeps, of conquest sure,
Stands on a precipice secure,
Nor dreads the yawning deep.
Tremendous God, to whom alone
Thy strange destructive works are known,
Thy properest works of grace;
If prayers and tears may yet prevail,
Let mercy turn the hovering scale
For our devoted race.
Thy strange destructive works are known,
Thy properest works of grace;
If prayers and tears may yet prevail,
Let mercy turn the hovering scale
For our devoted race.
Urged to the last extremity,
So save us, Lord, that all may see
The work is wholly Thine,
That knowing Him, through whom we live,
Our lives we may to Jesus give,
A sacrifice Divine.
So save us, Lord, that all may see
The work is wholly Thine,
That knowing Him, through whom we live,
Our lives we may to Jesus give,
A sacrifice Divine.
HYMN VI.
[Is this the guilty nation, Lord]
Is this the guilty nation, Lord,
(Permit us to inquire,)
Now to be visited by sword,
And purified by fire?
No longer can Thy wrath delay
An harden'd people's doom,
And must we see the evil day,
And must the spoiler come?
(Permit us to inquire,)
Now to be visited by sword,
And purified by fire?
No longer can Thy wrath delay
An harden'd people's doom,
And must we see the evil day,
And must the spoiler come?
158
Thou wilt not hide the thing decreed,
From those Thou call'st Thine own,
From Abraham's faithful praying seed,
Who trust in Thee alone.
Even now Thine angry rod we hear,
Thy Spirit's warning cry,
And feel the visitation near,
And to the mountain fly.
From those Thou call'st Thine own,
From Abraham's faithful praying seed,
Who trust in Thee alone.
Even now Thine angry rod we hear,
Thy Spirit's warning cry,
And feel the visitation near,
And to the mountain fly.
Thou hast to us Thy secret shown,
Who tremble at Thy name,
And sigh, and pray, and wrestle on
For our Jerusalem.
To deprecate the fatal hour,
We on our faces fall:
Ah! let not, Lord, Thy wrath devour,
Thy curse o'erwhelm us all.
Who tremble at Thy name,
And sigh, and pray, and wrestle on
For our Jerusalem.
To deprecate the fatal hour,
We on our faces fall:
Ah! let not, Lord, Thy wrath devour,
Thy curse o'erwhelm us all.
If now, on such a land as this,
Thou must avenged be,
Yet snatch us from the dark abyss
Of endless misery:
Whome'er Thy will appoints to die,
To them repentance give,
And let them with their closing eye
Behold Thy cross, and live.
Thou must avenged be,
Yet snatch us from the dark abyss
Of endless misery:
Whome'er Thy will appoints to die,
To them repentance give,
And let them with their closing eye
Behold Thy cross, and live.
If now the alien hosts break in,
To spoil our wasted shore,
Let mercy interpose between,
And circumscribe their power;
While arm'd with Heaven's avenging word,
The ready murderers stand,
Revoke their charge, nor let the sword
Go through our sinful land.
To spoil our wasted shore,
Let mercy interpose between,
And circumscribe their power;
While arm'd with Heaven's avenging word,
The ready murderers stand,
Revoke their charge, nor let the sword
Go through our sinful land.
159
Thou canst the meditated blow
By ways unseen divert,
With terror strike the fiercest foe,
And quell the proudest heart:
Thou, whom the winds and seas obey,
Look; and a frown of Thine
Shall chase the hornets far away,
And blast their dire design.
By ways unseen divert,
With terror strike the fiercest foe,
And quell the proudest heart:
Thou, whom the winds and seas obey,
Look; and a frown of Thine
Shall chase the hornets far away,
And blast their dire design.
This is our confidence of hope,
Thou dost their threatenings see,
And wilt not give Thy people up
To Popish cruelty:
Whate'er Thy justice doth below,
Thou shalt Thy church defend,
For Christ is in our hearts, we know,
And heaven in our end.
Thou dost their threatenings see,
And wilt not give Thy people up
To Popish cruelty:
Whate'er Thy justice doth below,
Thou shalt Thy church defend,
For Christ is in our hearts, we know,
And heaven in our end.
HYMN VII.
[Join all, whom God in Jesus spares]
Join all, whom God in Jesus spares,
And mingle praises with your prayers,
Sing to the Lord a solemn song,
Whose mercy respites us so long.
And mingle praises with your prayers,
Sing to the Lord a solemn song,
Whose mercy respites us so long.
Mercy alone deferr'd our doom,
And would not let the judgment come;
Thy mercy we with reverence praise,
And wonder at Thy patient grace.
And would not let the judgment come;
Thy mercy we with reverence praise,
And wonder at Thy patient grace.
Saviour, Thy unexhausted love
Did still the' approaching woe remove,
With famine, war, and earthquake near,
It rescued us from year to year.
Did still the' approaching woe remove,
With famine, war, and earthquake near,
It rescued us from year to year.
160
A bush unburn'd amidst the flame,
Jesus, we magnify Thy name,
Our strange deliverances admire,
And give Thee glory in the fire.
Jesus, we magnify Thy name,
Our strange deliverances admire,
And give Thee glory in the fire.
Preserved so oft, we cannot doubt,
Thy mighty arm shall bear us out,
Our suffering souls like gold refine,
And whiten us in blood Divine.
Thy mighty arm shall bear us out,
Our suffering souls like gold refine,
And whiten us in blood Divine.
And if the sword a few destroys,
The rest shall tremble, and rejoice,
Repent, and know their sins forgiven,
And glorify the God of heaven.
The rest shall tremble, and rejoice,
Repent, and know their sins forgiven,
And glorify the God of heaven.
HYMN VIII. Revelation xix. 11, &c.
Come, Thou Conqueror of the nations,
Now on Thy white horse appear;
Earthquakes, dearths, and desolations
Signify Thy kingdom near:
True and faithful!
'Stablish Thy dominion here.
Now on Thy white horse appear;
Earthquakes, dearths, and desolations
Signify Thy kingdom near:
True and faithful!
'Stablish Thy dominion here.
Thine the kingdom, power, and glory;
Thine the ransom'd nations are;
Let the heathen fall before Thee,
Let the isles Thy power declare;
Judge and conquer
All mankind in righteous war.
Thine the ransom'd nations are;
Let the heathen fall before Thee,
Let the isles Thy power declare;
Judge and conquer
All mankind in righteous war.
161
Thee let all mankind admire,
Object of our joy and dread!
Flame Thine eyes with heavenly fire,
Many crowns upon Thy head;
But Thine essence
None, except Thyself, can read.
Object of our joy and dread!
Flame Thine eyes with heavenly fire,
Many crowns upon Thy head;
But Thine essence
None, except Thyself, can read.
Yet we know our Mediator,
By the Father's grace bestow'd,
Meanly clothed in human nature,
Thee we call the Word of God:
Flesh Thy vesture,
Dipp'd in Thy own sacred blood.
By the Father's grace bestow'd,
Meanly clothed in human nature,
Thee we call the Word of God:
Flesh Thy vesture,
Dipp'd in Thy own sacred blood.
Follow'd by the hosts of heaven,
(White their robes, their coursers white,)
Come, and let the word be given,
Let Thy sword the nations smite;
With Thy judgments,
With Thine iron sceptre fight.
(White their robes, their coursers white,)
Come, and let the word be given,
Let Thy sword the nations smite;
With Thy judgments,
With Thine iron sceptre fight.
Captain, God of our salvation,
Thou who hast the winepress trod,
Borne the' Almighty's indignation,
Quench'd the fiercest wrath of God,
Take the kingdom,
Claim the purchase of Thy blood.
Thou who hast the winepress trod,
Borne the' Almighty's indignation,
Quench'd the fiercest wrath of God,
Take the kingdom,
Claim the purchase of Thy blood.
On Thy thigh and vesture written,
Show the world Thy heavenly name,
That, with loving wonder smitten,
All may glorify the Lamb;
All adore Thee,
All the Lord of Hosts proclaim.
Show the world Thy heavenly name,
That, with loving wonder smitten,
All may glorify the Lamb;
All adore Thee,
All the Lord of Hosts proclaim.
162
Honour, glory, and salvation,
To the Lord our God we give;
Power, and endless adoration,
Thou art worthy to receive:
Reign triumphant,
King of kings, for ever live!
To the Lord our God we give;
Power, and endless adoration,
Thou art worthy to receive:
Reign triumphant,
King of kings, for ever live!
FINIS.
| The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |