The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

A poor afflicted sojourner
I see the meaning of Thy love;
It strips me of my comforts here,
To mind me of the joys above:
I answer to the call Divine,
After my old companions come,
And for that better country pine,
And hasten to my heavenly home.

143

440. [Plenty is from, and with, the Lord]

The Lord visited His people in giving them bread. —i. 6.

Plenty is from, and with, the Lord:
His presence doth the staff afford
Which must our life sustain,
He comes to cheer us in the bread;
On Him our hungry spirits feed,
And all His fulness gain.

441. [Gone out against my body, Lord]

The hand of the Lord is gone out against me. —i. 13.

Gone out against my body, Lord,
Thy chastening hand I feel in pain,
That wounded by Thy Spirit's sword
My soul might perfect health obtain;
Thy hand is contrary to me,
That I may all be lost in Thee.

442. [The souls that Israel leave]

Thy sister is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods. —i. 15.

The souls that Israel leave
Will Israel's God forsake,
And who to Moab's people cleave
Will Moab's idols take:
Jesus, if Thou art mine,
By perfect charity
Keep me for ever one with Thine,
For ever one with Thee.

443. [Thou canst not, Lord, a beggar spurn]

Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return, &c. —i. 16.

Thou canst not, Lord, a beggar spurn
That courts Thy company,
Wherefore I never will return
From following after Thee;

144

Resolved, where'er Thou goest, I go,
In all Thy footsteps tread,
And glad like Thee to want below
A place to lay my head.

444. [Thy people by the world abhorr'd]

Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. —i. 16.

Thy people by the world abhorr'd
I for my people take,
And serve the servants of my Lord,
For their dear Master's sake:
Appeased and reconciled to me,
Through Thine atoning blood,
Thy Father and Thy God shall be
My Father and my God.

445. [Determined after Thee I bear]

Where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried. —i. 17.

Determined after Thee I bear
My cross to Calvary,
And come Thy bitterest cup to share,
And with my Saviour die:
The place where once Thy body lay,
The place it did perfume,
There will I drop my breathless clay,
And rest within Thy tomb.

446. [If now Thou dwellest in my heart]

The Lord do so to me, and more also, &c. —i. 17.

If now Thou dwellest in my heart,
And I in Thee abide,
Nor life, nor death itself shall part
Or tear me from Thy side:
What sets me from my prison free
In closer bonds shall join
This disembodied soul to Thee,
Through endless ages mine.

145

447. [Taught as by thorns and briars, we know]

The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. —i. 20.

Taught as by thorns and briars, we know
Thy wisely tender love
Embitters all the joys below,
To' endear the joys above.

448. [I went out full of youthful hope]

I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me, &c. —i. 21.

I went out full of youthful hope,
But empty I return,
My sanguine confidence give up,
My blasted comforts mourn:
A few more days of sad distress
I travel towards a tomb;
But trust to reach in final peace
Mine everlasting home.

449. [Casual howe'er our steps may seem]

Her hap was to light on a part of the field, &c. —ii. 3.

Casual howe'er our steps may seem,
Directed and o'erruled by Him
Who for His people cares,
Where Providence appoints we go;
He orders all our ways we know,
And numbers all our hairs.

In small events we daily prove
The wisdom of our Father's love;
We own the work is His
From trivial incidents to raise
Matter for His eternal praise,
And our eternal bliss.

450. [By Boaz, yet divinely, taught]

Boaz said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. —ii. 4.

By Boaz, yet divinely, taught,
Father, we for our servants pray,
Let all their works in Thee be wrought,
Thee let them still in us obey,

146

And find, partakers of the Lord,
In life and death their full reward.

451. [Under the yoke, O God, to Thee]

They answered him, The Lord bless thee! —ii. 4.

Under the yoke, O God, to Thee
We humbly for our betters cry,
Bless them with true felicity,
With showers of blessings from the sky,
Thy grace be to our masters given;
Our lords on earth be kings in heaven!

452. [Religion pure rejects the dress]

She bowed herself to the ground. —ii. 10.

Religion pure rejects the dress
Of rude illiberal clownishness,
Nor calls it sinful courtesy
To' incline the head, or bow the knee;
Well-taught by her, respect we show,
And honour give where'er 'tis due,
But gladly pay to true desert
The humblest homage of the heart.

453. [I too have left my worldly home]

A full reward be given thee of the Lord, &c. —ii. 12.

I too have left my worldly home,
My old idolatry,
And to Thy people join'd, am come
To put my trust in Thee:
In Thee I seek my full reward
With all Thy saints above:
But tell me now, Thou art my Lord,
And bless me with Thy love.

454. [At evening to myself I say]

Where hast thou gleaned to-day? —ii. 19.

At evening to myself I say,
My soul, where hast thou glean'd to-day,
Thy labours how bestow'd?

147

What hast thou rightly said, or done?
What grace attain'd, or knowledge won,
In following after God?

455. [Jesus, we claim Thee for our own]

Thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, &c. —iii. 4.

Jesus, we claim Thee for our own,
Our Kinsman near allied in blood,
Flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone,
The son of man, the Son of God,
And lo, we lay us at Thy feet,
Our sentence from Thy mouth to meet.

456. [Partaker of my flesh below]

Spread thy skirt over thine handmaid, &c. —iii. 9.

Partaker of my flesh below,
To Thee, O Jesus, I apply;
Thou wilt Thy poor relations know,
Thou never canst Thyself deny,
Exclude me from Thy guardian care,
Or slight a sinful beggar's prayer.

Thee, Saviour, at my greatest need
I trust my faithful friend to prove:
Now o'er Thy meanest servant spread
The skirt of Thy redeeming love,
Under Thy wings of mercy take,
And save me for Thy nature's sake.

Hast Thou not undertook my cause,
Lord over all, to worms allied?
Answer me from that bleeding cross,
Demand Thy dearly-ransom'd bride,
And let my soul, betroth'd to Thee,
Thine wholly, Thine for ever be!

457. [O Jesus, full of richest grace]

I have bought all that was Elimelech's, &c. —iv. 9, 10.

O Jesus, full of richest grace,
In pity to our fallen race,

148

Thou didst at infinite expense
Redeem our lost inheritance,
Thine own inheritance forego,
A poor afflicted man below,
For us procure with all Thy blood
The God of heaven, and heaven of God.

Strangers, and foreigners we were,
Who now Thy purchased people are,
Forlorn, abandon'd, and despised,
Yet by our great Redeemer prized:
Patron of friendless poverty,
The widow now betroth'd to Thee,
Thy church, with heavenly gifts endow'd,
Is made the glorious spouse of God.

Our dead in sin and buried race
Thy brethren, Lord, Thou dost confess,
Nor suffer'st that our name should be
Cut off to all eternity:
Thy nature with our nature join'd
Preserves the half-extinguish'd kind;
Jesus, Thy name to mortals given,
Exalts both ours, and us, to heaven.

University of Virginia Library

RUTH.

439.

[A poor afflicted sojourner]

440.

[Plenty is from, and with, the Lord]

441.

[Gone out against my body, Lord]

442.

[The souls that Israel leave]

443.

[Thou canst not, Lord, a beggar spurn]

444.

[Thy people by the world abhorr'd]

445.

[Determined after Thee I bear]

446.

[If now Thou dwellest in my heart]

447.

[Taught as by thorns and briars, we know]

448.

[I went out full of youthful hope]

449.

[Casual howe'er our steps may seem]

450.

[By Boaz, yet divinely, taught]

451.

[Under the yoke, O God, to Thee]

452.

[Religion pure rejects the dress]

453.

[I too have left my worldly home]

454.

[At evening to myself I say]

455.

[Jesus, we claim Thee for our own]

456.

[Partaker of my flesh below]

457.

[O Jesus, full of richest grace]