 | The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
ON THE DEATH OF MR. THOMAS WALSH, APRIL 8, 1759, AGED TWENTY-EIGHT.
HYMN XL.
[PART I.]
[God of unfathomable grace]
God of unfathomable grace,
Unsearchable to mortal sight,
Faithful and just are all Thy ways,
Whatever is from Thee, is right:
In wisdom and mysterious love,
Thou hast revoked the blessing given;
Thy will be done beneath, above,
Thy name adored in earth and heaven.
Unsearchable to mortal sight,
Faithful and just are all Thy ways,
Whatever is from Thee, is right:
In wisdom and mysterious love,
Thou hast revoked the blessing given;
Thy will be done beneath, above,
Thy name adored in earth and heaven.
A zealous instrument of good,
A vessel fit for use Divine,
Thy mercy on Thy church bestow'd,
And gave the burning light to shine:
Thy grace had first prepared his heart,
Dispell'd the Babylonish gloom,
And bid his early youth depart
The camp of antichristian Rome.
A vessel fit for use Divine,
Thy mercy on Thy church bestow'd,
And gave the burning light to shine:
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Dispell'd the Babylonish gloom,
And bid his early youth depart
The camp of antichristian Rome.
Drawn by a secret power, he flew,
(Nor stay'd to prop the papal throne,)
The truth determined to pursue,
And panting for a God unknown:
By works of legal righteousness
He blindly sought the grace to' obtain,
But could not find the paths of peace,
But labour'd through the fire in vain.
(Nor stay'd to prop the papal throne,)
The truth determined to pursue,
And panting for a God unknown:
By works of legal righteousness
He blindly sought the grace to' obtain,
But could not find the paths of peace,
But labour'd through the fire in vain.
While thus he toil'd, a sudden cry
Proclaim'd the' approaching multitude:
They told of Jesus passing by,
Of free redemption in His blood:
Upstarted like the beggar blind,
He sprang the healing touch to meet,
Cast all his filthy rags behind,
And groan'd for faith at Jesus' feet.
Proclaim'd the' approaching multitude:
They told of Jesus passing by,
Of free redemption in His blood:
Upstarted like the beggar blind,
He sprang the healing touch to meet,
Cast all his filthy rags behind,
And groan'd for faith at Jesus' feet.
The' incarnate God his sight restored,
With faith the heartfelt pardon gave,
And raised him up to preach his Lord,
So willing all mankind to save:
By Christ Himself ordain'd, and sent
An herald of redeeming grace,
Eager to the highways he went,
And fill'd the land with Jesus' praise.
With faith the heartfelt pardon gave,
And raised him up to preach his Lord,
So willing all mankind to save:
By Christ Himself ordain'd, and sent
An herald of redeeming grace,
Eager to the highways he went,
And fill'd the land with Jesus' praise.
But lo! the soul-ensnaring fiend,
Soon as the stripling's course began,
Urged him for trifles to contend,
And turn'd aside to janglings vain.
Not long: for soon his upright heart
Retrieved its momentary loss,
Resolved its utmost powers to' exert,
And only glory in the cross.
Soon as the stripling's course began,
Urged him for trifles to contend,
And turn'd aside to janglings vain.
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Retrieved its momentary loss,
Resolved its utmost powers to' exert,
And only glory in the cross.
His course impetuous who can tell?
While battling with the' infernal foe,
He puts forth all his strength and zeal,
He spends his life at every blow!
Or fierce on the Philistines flies,
Compels the captives to come in,
Spoils Satan of his lawful prize,
And tears them from the toils of sin.
While battling with the' infernal foe,
He puts forth all his strength and zeal,
He spends his life at every blow!
Or fierce on the Philistines flies,
Compels the captives to come in,
Spoils Satan of his lawful prize,
And tears them from the toils of sin.
Refreshing, soft as vernal showers,
His word on weary sinners falls,
Or like the rapid torrent pours,
While souls to Jesus' blood he calls:
With strength and utterance from above
Drives on the saints through grace forgiven,
To scale the mount of holiest love,
To seize the brightest throne in heaven.
His word on weary sinners falls,
Or like the rapid torrent pours,
While souls to Jesus' blood he calls:
With strength and utterance from above
Drives on the saints through grace forgiven,
To scale the mount of holiest love,
To seize the brightest throne in heaven.
HYMN XLI.
PART II.
[While Christ with all his heart he sought]
While Christ with all his heart he sought,
And all his gifts from Christ received,
A witness of the truths he taught,
A pattern to the flock he lived;
Them by his bright example led
The power of godliness to prove,
In word, in converse, and in deed,
In faith, in purity, and love.
And all his gifts from Christ received,
A witness of the truths he taught,
A pattern to the flock he lived;
Them by his bright example led
The power of godliness to prove,
In word, in converse, and in deed,
In faith, in purity, and love.
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Did he not labour day and night,
In ministerial works employ'd,
His sweet relief, his whole delight,
To search the oracles of God,
To listen at the Master's feet,
To catch the whispers of His grace,
And long for happiness complete,
And gasp to see His open face?
In ministerial works employ'd,
His sweet relief, his whole delight,
To search the oracles of God,
To listen at the Master's feet,
To catch the whispers of His grace,
And long for happiness complete,
And gasp to see His open face?
Did he not triumph in the cross,
Its prints as on his body show,
Lavish of life for Jesus' cause,
Whose blood so free for him did flow?
He scorn'd his feeble flesh to spare,
Regardless of its swift decline,
His single aim, his ceaseless prayer
To' attain the righteousness Divine.
Its prints as on his body show,
Lavish of life for Jesus' cause,
Whose blood so free for him did flow?
He scorn'd his feeble flesh to spare,
Regardless of its swift decline,
His single aim, his ceaseless prayer
To' attain the righteousness Divine.
Impatient to be truly great,
Ambitious of a crown above,
He coveted the highest seat,
He ask'd the grace of perfect love:
He ask'd, alas! but knew not then
The purport of his own desire,
How deep that cup of sacred pain,
How searching that baptismal fire!
Ambitious of a crown above,
He coveted the highest seat,
He ask'd the grace of perfect love:
He ask'd, alas! but knew not then
The purport of his own desire,
How deep that cup of sacred pain,
How searching that baptismal fire!
The Lord allow'd his bold request;
The servant is call'd forth to share
That anguish of a wounded breast,
Those pangs which only God could bear;
Who drank in His sad days of flesh
The potion by His Father given,
And bids His members feel afresh
The fierceness of the wrath of heaven.
The servant is call'd forth to share
That anguish of a wounded breast,
Those pangs which only God could bear;
Who drank in His sad days of flesh
The potion by His Father given,
And bids His members feel afresh
The fierceness of the wrath of heaven.
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A taste of that mysterious cup
His faithful follower now received,
And fill'd his Lord's afflictions up,
While grief beyond conception grieved:
His agonizing soul sweat blood,
With Christ he fainted on the tree,
And cried in death, “My God, my God,
Ah! why hast Thou forsaken me!”
His faithful follower now received,
And fill'd his Lord's afflictions up,
While grief beyond conception grieved:
His agonizing soul sweat blood,
With Christ he fainted on the tree,
And cried in death, “My God, my God,
Ah! why hast Thou forsaken me!”
Tried to the last, but not forsook,
But honour'd with distinguish'd grace,
Heavenward he cast a dying look,
And saw once more his Saviour's face:
“He's come! my Well-beloved,” he said,
“And I am His, and He is mine!”
He spake; he gazed; and bow'd his head,
And sunk into the arms Divine.
But honour'd with distinguish'd grace,
Heavenward he cast a dying look,
And saw once more his Saviour's face:
“He's come! my Well-beloved,” he said,
“And I am His, and He is mine!”
He spake; he gazed; and bow'd his head,
And sunk into the arms Divine.
Shout all the first-born church above
His full triumphant entrance there,
Shout all on earth, whom Jesus' love
Hath call'd His cross and crown to share:
Our calling, Lord, we calmly see,
Our burden joyfully sustain,
And die through one dark hour with Thee,
With Thee eternally to reign.
His full triumphant entrance there,
Shout all on earth, whom Jesus' love
Hath call'd His cross and crown to share:
Our calling, Lord, we calmly see,
Our burden joyfully sustain,
And die through one dark hour with Thee,
With Thee eternally to reign.
HYMN XLII. ANOTHER.
[Glory, and thanks, and love]
Glory, and thanks, and love,
And everlasting praise
Ascribe to God, who reigns above,
Supreme in power and grace;
To His co-equal Son,
The dear-bought sinners' Friend,
Jesus, who freely loves His own,
And loves them to the end.
And everlasting praise
Ascribe to God, who reigns above,
Supreme in power and grace;
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The dear-bought sinners' Friend,
Jesus, who freely loves His own,
And loves them to the end.
To God the Comforter,
The earnest and the seal,
The witness of our sonship here,
The gift unspeakable:
To the great triune God
Be ceaseless honours given,
Till Christ, descending on the cloud,
Turns all our earth to heaven.
The earnest and the seal,
The witness of our sonship here,
The gift unspeakable:
To the great triune God
Be ceaseless honours given,
Till Christ, descending on the cloud,
Turns all our earth to heaven.
He bids us now partake
Our fellow-servant's bliss,
Whose soul returns in safety back
From life's tempestuous seas,
Who driven and toss'd no more,
No more o'erwhelm'd, oppress'd,
Claps his glad wings, escaped to shore,
To the Redeemer's breast.
Our fellow-servant's bliss,
Whose soul returns in safety back
From life's tempestuous seas,
Who driven and toss'd no more,
No more o'erwhelm'd, oppress'd,
Claps his glad wings, escaped to shore,
To the Redeemer's breast.
He sees the trial past,
He leaves the storm behind.
To his triumphant Head at last
Inseparably join'd:
Shout all the hosts above,
When Jesus saith, “Well done,”
And deigns His servant's faith to' approve,
And seats him on the throne.
He leaves the storm behind.
To his triumphant Head at last
Inseparably join'd:
Shout all the hosts above,
When Jesus saith, “Well done,”
And deigns His servant's faith to' approve,
And seats him on the throne.
Thanks be to God who gave
The victory and the prize!
Join, all who own His power to save,
The triumph of the skies!
The church of the first-born,
To them by faith we come,
And conquerors of the world return
To our celestial home.
The victory and the prize!
Join, all who own His power to save,
The triumph of the skies!
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To them by faith we come,
And conquerors of the world return
To our celestial home.
We know in whom we trust,
We haste to His embrace,
Mix'd with the spirits of the just,
The perfected in grace;
Their ripest joy to share,
Exulting we ascend,
And grasp our old companions there,
And our eternal Friend.
We haste to His embrace,
Mix'd with the spirits of the just,
The perfected in grace;
Their ripest joy to share,
Exulting we ascend,
And grasp our old companions there,
And our eternal Friend.
HYMN XLIII. ANOTHER.
['Tis finish'd, 'tis past, His conflict below]
'Tis finish'd, 'tis past, His conflict below,
The sharpest and last He ever shall know!
The fiery temptation Hath spent all its fires,
The heir of salvation With triumph expires.
The sharpest and last He ever shall know!
The fiery temptation Hath spent all its fires,
The heir of salvation With triumph expires.
The buffeting fiend Who push'd him so sore,
And bruised to the end, Shall bruise him no more:
He trod on his bruiser, And more than subdued
Our hellish accuser, Through Jesus's blood.
And bruised to the end, Shall bruise him no more:
He trod on his bruiser, And more than subdued
Our hellish accuser, Through Jesus's blood.
Depress'd by the cross, He mounted the higher;
He left all his dross And tin in the fire:
He brought by his mourning The Comforter down,
And Jesus returning Presented the crown.
He left all his dross And tin in the fire:
He brought by his mourning The Comforter down,
And Jesus returning Presented the crown.
All praise to the Lord, All praise is His due:
His merciful word Is tried, and found true:
Who his dereliction On Calvary bear,
And share His affliction, His kingdom shall share.
His merciful word Is tried, and found true:
Who his dereliction On Calvary bear,
And share His affliction, His kingdom shall share.
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O Saviour, to Thee Our souls we commend!
If nail'd to the tree, We bleed to the end;
We bear the full anguish, The uttermost load;
But give us to languish And suffer like God.
If nail'd to the tree, We bleed to the end;
We bear the full anguish, The uttermost load;
But give us to languish And suffer like God.
Remember us then, And answer our call,
When turning with pain Our face to the wall;
In trouble stand by us, Till all is o'erpast,
And chasten, and try us, But save us at last.
When turning with pain Our face to the wall;
In trouble stand by us, Till all is o'erpast,
And chasten, and try us, But save us at last.
| The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |