The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Who is this gigantic foe,
That proudly stalks along;
Overlooks the crowd below,
In brazen armour strong?
Loudly of his strength he boasts,
On his sword and spear relies,
Meets the God of Israel's hosts,
And all their force defies.

Tallest of the earth-born race,
They tremble at his power,
Fly before the monster's face,
And own him conqueror:
Who this mighty champion is
Nature answers from within,
He is my own wickedness,
My own besetting sin.

In the strength of Jesu's name
I with the monster fight;
Feeble and unarm'd I am,
But Jesus is my might:
Mindful of His mercies past,
Still I trust the same to prove,
Still my helpless soul I cast
On His redeeming love.

From the bear and lion's paws
He hath deliver'd me;
He shall still maintain my cause,
And still my Helper be;

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God in my defence shall stand,
Jesus on my side I have,
From the proud Goliath's hand
He now my soul shall save.

With my sling and stone I go
To fight the Philistine;
God hath said, It shall be so,
And I shall conquer sin:
On the promise I rely,
Trust in an Almighty Lord,
Sure to win the victory,
For He hath spoke the word.

In the strength of God I rise,
I run to meet my foe;
Faith the word of power applies,
And lays the giant low;
Faith in Jesu's conquering name
Slings the sin-destroying stone,
Points the word's unerring aim,
And brings the monster down.

See the promise-word takes place,
And smites the giant's head;
See, he falls upon his face,
He falls, and sin is dead!
Now I more than conquer it,
Trample on Goliath slain;
Slain he lies beneath my feet,
Never to rise again.

Willing now to be made free
From my own sin I am,
Saved from all iniquity,
From every touch of blame:

239

Thou hast made me willing, Lord,
Thou alone hast turn'd my heart,
Now I with Goliath's sword
His head and body part.

Sin, my strongest sin, is dead,
Goliath is o'erthrown;
Yes, he now has lost his head,
The love of sin is gone:
Fallen is their boasted chief,
Scatter'd are the Philistines,
Scatter'd by a true belief
Are all my meaner sins.

Rise, ye men of Israel, rise,
Your routed foe pursue;
Shout His praises to the skies
Who conquers sin for you:
Jesus doth for you appear,
He His conquering grace affords,
Saves you, not with sword and spear,
The battle is the Lord's.

Every day the Lord of Hosts
His mighty power displays,
Stills the proud Philistine's boasts,
The threatening Gittite slays:
Israel's God let all below
Conqueror over sin proclaim;
O that all the earth might know
The power of Jesu's name!

Sin hath tyrannized too long
O'er Israel's chosen race,
Dared defy the feeble throng,
And all their armies chase;

240

Armies of the living God,
Basely they to sin did yield;
Sin can never be destroy'd
Till David takes the field.

Love alone can match in fight,
And conquer every foe;
Saul, with all his strength and might,
Can never sin o'erthrow;
Saul may vex, (the law restrain,)
David takes the giant's head,
Love will never turn again
Till every sin is dead.

University of Virginia Library

DAVID AND GOLIATH.

[1 Samuel xvii.]