The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Jesus, the Lord most high,
Thy poorest servant own,
And give me strength to glorify,
And serve my God alone;
Inspired with humble fear,
And principled with grace,
My earthly master to revere,
As standing in Thy place.

Thine acceptable will
(If Thou the power impart)
In his I cheerfully fulfil,
And with a single heart:
Not with eye-service vain
A flatter'd worm to please,
But God, who knows what is in men,
And all our motives sees.

167

Whate'er for man I do,
I do as to the Lord,
From God the merciful and true
Expecting my reward:
And whether bond or free,
I know Thou wilt approve,
And crown our services to Thee
With Thy eternal love.

CXL.

[O that I always may]

O that I always may
My honour'd master please,
And his paternal care repay
With faithful services!
My study and delight
With warm, unwearied zeal
To do, as in Jehovah's sight,
My honour'd master's will.

If those who know not God
Their kind reprovers spurn,
Or stubborn, petulant, and loud
The answer prompt return;
The chidings of my lord
Let me with awe receive,
And wounded by a hasty word
In modest silence grieve.

Harden'd in sordid sin,
The basest of the throng,
By pilfering and purloining mean
If slaves their masters wrong;

168

My constant care shall be
My faithfulness to' approve,
And guard his sacred property
Whom I revere and love.

Jesus, with loving fear
My simple heart inspire,
So shall I serve Thy servant here
For conscience, not for hire;
In free subjection live,
In everything obey,
And all my recompence receive
At that triumphant day!

CXLI.

[Lord, if Thou hast on me bestow'd]

Lord, if Thou hast on me bestow'd
A master, not humane and good,
But froward and severe,
Assist the servant of Thy will
With grace and wisdom to fulfil
The Christian character.

Trampled as dirt beneath his feet,
O may I quietly submit
To all his stern decrees,
Insults and wrongs in silence bear,
And serve with conscientious care
Whom I can never please.

Under the galling iron yoke
To Thee my only help I look,
To Thee in secret groan:

169

I cannot murmur or complain,
But meekly all my griefs sustain
For Thy dear sake alone.

The promise stands for ever sure,
The griefs I for Thy sake endure
My crown and joy shall be:
But all my strength of patient grace,
And all my glorious happiness
Is a free gift from Thee.

CXLII.

[Why in the neighbourhood of hell]

Why in the neighbourhood of hell,
Saviour, am I constrain'd to dwell
Who would be wholly Thine,
Subjected to a furious lord,
Who heaven provokes at every word,
And dares the wrath Divine!

A witness of his frantic ways,
His drunken, riotous excess,
Am I a partner too?
Jesus, mine eyes are unto Thee:
Show in this sad perplexity
What should Thy servant do?

Must I the' infernal language hear
Tormenting to a sober ear,
And not reprove his sin?
Words from his slaves he cannot brook,
But let him meet my mournful look,
And stand condemn'd within.

170

Him let my blameless life reprove,
My labour of unwearied love,
My active zeal to please,
To serve his will by day and night,
As one who in a world of light
A heavenly Master sees.

By duteous and respectful awe
O might I his attention draw
To principles unseen!
A testimony from Thy foe
Extort, that those who Jesus know
Give all their due to men.

Then let his waken'd soul arise,
Shake off the chains of vulgar vice,
And every sin abhorr'd,
Till pardon makes him truly free,
And turns his heart to serve with me
Our dear redeeming Lord.

CXLIII.

[Servant of Christ, on Him I call]

Servant of Christ, on Him I call,
The help and sure resource of all
His followers in distress;
Saviour, in my defence arise;
My soul as among lions lies,
And no deliverance sees.

Departing from their sinful way,
I make myself the sinner's prey,
Provoke the sons of night

171

(While good for evil I return)
To hunt me down with cruel scorn,
And rancorous despite.

Thy confessor I stand alone,
My heavenly Lord and Master own,
By them alas denied:
The alien host is always near,
Yet cannot I their outrage fear
With Jesus on my side.

I cannot haughtily contemn,
Or once prefer myself to them,
Or bitterly reprove
The slaves of open wickedness;
I differ through Thy only grace,
And freely pardoning love.

Thou know'st their unrelenting hate,
Who daily for my halting wait,
And wish my fall to see;
Strike their insidious malice blind,
Or let them no occasion find,
Except my zeal for Thee.

My zeal be warm, and wise, and meek:
Instruct me, Saviour, when to speak,
And when in silence stay,
That ready to take up my cross,
I never may disgrace Thy cause,
I never may betray.

The gospel-pearl, the truth Divine,
I would not, Lord, expose to swine,
The mysteries of grace

172

To men of life and lips impure,
Or tell them of my pardon sure,
And perfect holiness.

No: rather let my actions tell
That a poor soul redeem'd from hell
Doth his Redeemer own,
Fears a forgiving God to' offend,
Studies to please so dear a Friend,
And lives for Him alone.

My life, a copy fair from Thine,
Must in the eyes of sinners shine,
If Thou Thine arrows dart,
Thine old rebellious foes subdue,
Convert them into creatures new,
And reign in every heart.

Jesus, I will not let Thee go,
Till Thou to these Thy mercy show,
And made the sons of God
Their dear Redeemer they proclaim,
Obtain salvation in Thy name,
And pardon in Thy blood.

CXLIV.

[With a believing master bless'd]

With a believing master bless'd,
His equal in the Saviour's eyes,
His brother in the Lord confess'd,
Shall I neglect him, or despise?
Forget the difference of estate,
And scorn at his commands to bow,
As high and low, as small and great
Were all upon a level now!

173

Rather I would with warmer zeal
My just fidelity approve,
Gladly perform his utmost will,
And love whom God is pleased to love,
Worthy of double honour deem
The heir of joys that never end,
And serve and cordially esteem
Whom Jesus deigns to call His friend.

Giver of all good gifts, on me,
On all who bear the yoke, bestow
The wisdom, and humility,
Our station and ourselves to know,
Our masters to obey and prize;
Lest failing in allegiance here,
We force the world with taunting cries
To ask, Is this your godly fear!

If stubborn, insolent, and proud,
We tempt even heathens to exclaim,
And urge the sacrilegious crowd
To vilify the Christian name:
The faith which such as you profess
Must error or imposture be,
A mere pretence for idleness,
Or cover for hypocrisy.

But if the gospel we obey,
Our will to God and man resign,
All honour to our masters pay,
And worship only not Divine;

174

His uncontested witnesses
We praise the doctrine of our Lord,
Prove to their hearts the truth of grace,
And sinners save without the word.

University of Virginia Library

THE SERVANT'S HYMN.

CXXXIX.

[Jesus, the Lord most high]