The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Hence ye profane! far off remove
Ye strangers to redeeming love,
Sinners, who Jesus never knew,
The song of songs is not for you!
Away ye worldly goats and swine,
Who trample on this pearl Divine,
Which only wisdom's sons esteem,
While fools and infidels blaspheme.

With deepest shame, with humblest fear,
I to Thine oracle draw near,
To meet Thee in the holiest place,
To learn the secret of Thy grace:
Now, Lord, explain the mystery,
Display Thy precious Self to me,
And when Thou dost the veil remove,
My heart shall sing the song of love.

Thou heavenly Solomon Divine,
To teach the song of songs is Thine,
Thy Spirit alone the depths reveals,
Opens the book, and breaks the seals:

360

O might I find the bar removed,
And love my Lord as I am loved,
This moment gain my heart's desire,
The next within Thine arms expire!

1025.

[Jesus, Thy precious love I need]

Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth. —i. 2.

Jesus, Thy precious love I need,
The church's Husband and her Head,
To me Thy love impart;
I wait the reconciling kiss,
Which seals in purity and peace
My pardon on my heart.

Unveil the beauties of Thy face,
Those blessed lips, replete with grace,
To my poor soul apply;
Ten thousand, thousand kisses give,
And let me in Thy favour live,
And in Thy favour die.

1026.

[Fruit of the true immortal Vine]

Thy love is better than wine. —i. 2.

Fruit of the true immortal Vine,
Thy love, that new celestial wine,
Is on Thy bride bestow'd;
Thy love the joy of angels is,
And fills with everlasting bliss
The heart of man and God.

1027.

[Sweet is the odour of Thy grace]

Thy name is as ointment poured forth, &c. —i. 3.

Sweet is the odour of Thy grace;
Thy name pour'd forth fills all the place
With heavenly fragrancy:
Thy precious name the virgins love,
Drawn by that unction from above,
They run, they cleave to Thee.

361

Thy people saved are virgins wise,
They see Thy face with ravish'd eyes,
When faith hath purged their heart;
Cleansed by the water and the word
Thy saints from their beloved Lord
Nor life nor death shall part.

1028.

[Drawn by my Redeemer's love]

Draw me, we will run after Thee. —i. 4.

Drawn by my Redeemer's love
After Him I follow fast,
Drawn from earth to things above,
Drawn out of myself at last,
Runs my soul, and mounts, and flies,
Meets, and grasps Him in the skies!

1029.

[Draw me, and I with vigour new]

Draw me, and I with vigour new
Will my alluring God pursue;
But Thou dost draw me still,
How else could I Thyself require
Or offer Thee this faint desire
Thy precious love to feel?

The spark which from Thy Spirit came,
The dying spark into a flame,
O let Thy Spirit raise;
Then, then I after Thee shall run,
And grasp my Saviour on the throne,
And see Thy heavenly face.

1030.

[Me if to myself Thou leave]

Me if to myself Thou leave,
I cannot, Lord, aspire;
Cannot one good thought conceive,
Or one sincere desire.

362

But if by Thy light I know
My nature's desperate helplessness,
Thou who dost the want bestow
Wilt give the wanted grace.

That I heavenward may move,
The motion now begin;
Draw me by the cords of love,
Out of the toils of sin.
Draw me to the land unknown,
Beyond the world and Satan's power
Then I after Thee shall run,
And never linger more.

1031.

[Thou Shepherd of Israel, and mine]

Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth, &c. —i. 7.

Thou Shepherd of Israel, and mine,
The joy and desire of my heart,
For closer communion I pine,
I long to reside where Thou art;
The pasture I languish to find
Where all, who their Shepherd obey,
Are fed, on Thy bosom reclined,
Are screen'd from the heat of the day.

Ah, show me that happiest place,
That place of Thy people's abode,
Where saints in an ecstasy gaze,
And hang on a crucified God:
Thy love for a sinner declare,
Thy passion and death on the tree,
My spirit to Calvary bear,
To suffer, and triumph, with Thee.

'Tis there with the lambs of Thy flock,
There only I covet to rest,

363

To lie at the foot of the Rock,
Or rise to be hid in Thy breast;
'Tis there I would always abide,
And never a moment depart,
Conceal'd in the cleft of Thy side,
Eternally held in Thy heart.

1032.

[Happy beneath the Vine I sit]

His fruit was sweet to my taste. —ii. 3.

Happy beneath the Vine I sit,
And will not from His shade remove,
His fruit unto my taste is sweet,
The' experience of His dying love;
But sweeter far, when what I taste
Becomes in heaven my endless feast.

1033.

[Me, His own, so dearly bought]

He brought me to the banqueting house, &c. —ii. 4.

Me, His own, so dearly bought,
The King into His house hath brought:
Here He banquets with His bride
Happy at my Bridegroom's side;
Here He boasts His victory,
Triumphs in His love for me;
And heaven begun on earth I prove
Under the banner of His love!

1034.

[The voice of my Beloved sounds]

The voice of my Beloved! —ii. 8.

The voice of my Beloved sounds,
While o'er the mountain-tops He bounds,
He flies exulting o'er the hills,
And all my soul with transport fills!
Gently doth He chide my stay,
“Rise, My love, and come away.”

364

1035.

[The scatter'd clouds are fled at last]

Lo, the winter is past, the rain is gone, &c. —ii. 11.

The scatter'd clouds are fled at last,
The rain is gone, the winter pass'd,
The lovely vernal flowers appear,
The warbling choir enchant our ear:
Now with sweetly pensive moan,
Cooes the turtle-dove alone.

1036.

[Jesus my love, my life, my peace]

My Beloved is mine, and I am His. —ii. 16.

Jesus my love, my life, my peace,
Jesus is mine, and I am His,
His bride, His dear-bought property,
Who loved, and gave Himself for me,
Joy, and glory of my soul,
While eternal ages roll!

1037.

[O what shall I do to retrieve]

Saw ye Him whom my soul loveth? —iii. 3.

O what shall I do to retrieve
The love for a season bestow'd?
'Tis better to die, than to live
Exiled from the presence of God:
With sorrow distracted and doubt,
With palpable horror oppress'd,
The city I wander about,
And seek my repose in His breast.

Ye watchmen of Israel, declare
If ye my Beloved have seen,
And point to that heavenly Fair,
Surpassing the children of men:
My Lover and Lord from above,
Who only can quiet my pain,
Whom only I languish to love,
O where shall I find Him again!

365

The joy and desire of mine eyes,
The end of my sorrow and woe,
My hope, and my heavenly prize,
My height of ambition below,
Once more if He show me His face,
He never again shall depart,
Detain'd in my closest embrace,
Conceal'd in the depth of my heart.

1038.

[I found Him—crucified for me]

I found Him whom my soul loveth. —iii. 4.

I found Him—crucified for me,
My Love, whom all true hearts adore!
Ah, nail me, Saviour, to that tree,
And I shall never lose Thee more!

1039.

[I hold Him with a trembling hand]

I held Him, and would not let Him go. —iii. 4.

I hold Him with a trembling hand,
But till His face He show,
And bring me to the heavenly land,
I will not let Him go.

1040.

[Whate'er the' Almighty wills is done]

Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. —iv. 7.

Whate'er the' Almighty wills is done,
Thy word and deed, O Lord, are one:
O speak into my heart the grace,
The true, substantial righteousness;
Fulfil that blessed word in me,
“There is no spot of sin in thee,”
And bid me, like my Saviour, shine
In perfect comeliness Divine.

1041.

[Ye daughters of Sion, declare]

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, &c. —v. 8.

Ye daughters of Sion, declare
(When ye my Beloved have found)
My burden of sorrow and care,
My painful, incurable wound!

366

Ah, tell Him, it cannot be heal'd,
Till Jesus appear from above;
I faint for His mercy reveal'd,
I die for a taste of His love!

1042.

[Jesus, my balm for every ill]

His lips are like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. —v. 13.

Jesus, my balm for every ill,
My life in death Thou art;
Thy lips, as lilies pale, distil
The myrrh that heals my heart.

1043.

[So dearly-bought I must be Thine]

I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine. —vi. 3.

So dearly-bought I must be Thine:
But tell me, Lord, that Thou art mine,
If mine indeed Thou art,
If Thou hast given Thyself for me,
To make me capable of Thee,
O speak it—in my heart.

1044.

[Lo, the church with gradual light]

Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, &c. —vi. 10.

Lo, the church with gradual light
Her opening charms displays,
After a long dreary night
Looks forth with glimmering rays,
Scarce perceptible appears,
Until the Day-spring from on high
All the face of nature cheers,
And gladdens earth and sky.

Fair as the unclouded moon,
With borrow'd rays she shines,
Shines, but ah! she changes soon,
And when at full declines,

367

Frequent, long eclipses feels,
Till Jesus drives the shades away,
All her doubts and sins dispels,
And brings the perfect day.

Now she without spot appears,
For Christ appears again,
Sun of Righteousness, He clears
His church from every stain.
Rising in full majesty
He blazes with meridian light:
All the' horizon laughs to see
The joyous heavenly sight.

Bright with lustre not her own
The woman now admire,
Clothed with that eternal Sun
Which sets the worlds on fire!
Bright she shall for ever shine,
Enjoying, like the church above,
All the light of truth Divine,
And all the fire of love.

From her dark, inconstant state
To perfect love restored,
Stands the church divinely great,
The army of the Lord,
Wide His bloody sign displays;
And lo the hosts of Satan fall;
Terrible in holiness
She more than conquers all.

Who shall live to see that day
Of her Redeemer's power?
Jesus, come; no more delay
Thy kingdom to restore!

368

Or if first to rest I go,
Yet let me in that day appear,
Meanest of Thy saints below,
Thy saints triumphant here!

1045.

[Who is this we see ascend]

Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, &c. —viii. 5.

Who is this we see ascend
From the desolate wilderness,
Leaning on her Bosom-friend,
Weeping till His face she sees:
Scattering all her griefs and fears,
Lo, He lays the veil aside,
Wipes away His church's tears,
Shows her His unspotted bride.

Thus, out of its state forlorn
Every soul on Christ reclined
Shall with Him at last return,
Leave its cares and sins behind:
Thus by Jesu's arm sustain'd
I shall with my Lord be bless'd,
Rise into that holiest land,
Perfect love's eternal rest.

University of Virginia Library

THE SONG OF SOLOMON.

1024.

[Hence ye profane! far off remove]