The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Jesus, rebuke my fiery zeal
And bid it all depart,
This rash, censorious pride expel,
This Satan from my heart;
That only to myself severe,
When others I reprove,
My censure may to all appear
The meek result of love.

192

134. [“Shall I my righteous zeal suppress]

With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged. —vii. 2.

“Shall I my righteous zeal suppress,
Or openly the truth declare?”
The rigorous, rash, unjust excess
You must in pitying love forbear,
Your bitterness and wrath forego,
To sin severe, to sinners kind;
For mercy who refuse to show,
Shall judgment without mercy find.

135. [Intentions, hearts to God are known]

With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured, &c. —vii. 2.

Intentions, hearts to God are known,
The Judge that always judges right:
Usurp not then His awful throne
To brand the secret hypocrite;
Or God in righteousness extreme
To mark what thou hast done amiss,
Shall thee with hypocrites condemn
To Tophet's bottomless abyss.

136. [Blind to our own through selfish love]

Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy, &c. —vii. 3.

Blind to our own through selfish love,
Another's sin we plainly see,
Another's sin with haste reprove,
But spare our own infirmity;
By nature and the serpent taught,
Our grossest evils we disguise,
But aggravate our neighbour's fault;
And malice gives us piercing eyes.

137. [While faults in others I reprove]

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of, &c. —vii. 5.

While faults in others I reprove,
If my own sins I cloak and love,
I may with self-importance swell,
And boast the bold reformer's zeal;
But God denominates me aright
A blind, censorious hypocrite.

193

138. [Ye partisans of every sect]

Ye partisans of every sect,
Who smallest motes in others see,
But never once yourselves suspect,
Stark blind with zeal and bigotry;
Reformers of the world who seem,
And judge as cannot all beside,
Ye have not yet cast out the beam
Of fierce uncharitable pride.

139. [If wilful sin hath blinded me]

Then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote, &c. —vii. 5.

If wilful sin hath blinded me,
My brother's faults I cannot see,
But if I have cast out the beam,
I may discern the mote in him,
And kindly help him to remove
The smaller hindrances of love.

140. [Sin cannot duty supersede]

Sin cannot duty supersede,
Nor am I from reproving freed:
A sinner, still I must reprove
Sinners in lowliness of love,
But ask, when ready to condemn
The mote, have I cast out the beam?

Assist me, Lord, to lay aside
The zeal of novices untried,
The unreform'd reformer's haste
Too fierce, too violent to last,
And let me with myself begin
By now renouncing my own sin.

My bosom sin I would not hide
With fig-leaves of delusive pride,

194

With envious, quick, discerning eye
My neighbour's faults I would not spy;
My gentleness on them be shown,
My harshness on myself alone.

O may I strive and not in vain,
Personal holiness to' attain,
First judge myself with shame and grief
The least of saints, of sinners chief,
And then another's faults reprove
With candour, equity, and love.

141. [O may we never more expose]

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, &c. —vii. 6.

O may we never more expose
Thy holy things Divine
To men profane, Thine open foes,
Resembling dogs and swine:
Saviour, repress our forward zeal
A scorner to reprove,
To tell the world what Christians feel,
And boast our perfect love.

142. [If Thou the power of asking give]

Ask, and it shall be given you. —vii. 7.

If Thou the power of asking give,
The blessings ask'd shall all be given:
I ask, expecting to receive,
Thy grace, Thine image, and Thy heaven.

143. [Oft have I pray'd Thee to remove]

Oft have I pray'd Thee to remove
The sin through which I long have grieved;
Oft have I ask'd Thy precious love,
Nor yet the heavenly gift received:
But still in weariness and pain
I seem to plead Thy truth in vain.

195

Now on the verge of life I cry,
Jesus, on me the grace bestow,
I tremble at the point to die,
Nor can, unless Thy love I know,
Enter into that holy place,
Or stand before Thy glorious face.

Be mindful of Thy promise Lord,
And think how short my time beneath,
Assure me by Thy pardoning word
That love hath quicker wings than death,
And speak, before I bow my head,
My soul from sin completely freed.

144. [Thou bidd'st me ask, and while Thy word]

Thou bidd'st me ask, and while Thy word
Conveys the power to pray,
I ask the mercy of my Lord
To take my sins away:
The sins with which I cannot part
I pray Thee to remove,
And calm, and purify my heart
By Thy forgiving love.

If my obduracy impede
The current of Thy grace,
If unlamented crimes forbid
And will not let Thee bless;
The contrite sense, the grief Divine
Who only canst bestow,
Strike this hard rocky heart of mine,
And let the waters flow.

Repentance permanent and deep
To Thy poor suppliant give,
Indulge me at Thy feet to weep,
When Thou hast bid me live;

196

When Thou record'st my sins no more,
O may I still lament,
A sinner, saved by grace adore,
A pardon'd penitent.

Thou will'st Thy followers to request
Fulness of joy in Thee,
To covet gifts the chief, the best;
But grief seems best for me:
My sins I never can forget,
Even when Thy face appears,
Or covet but to kiss Thy feet,
And wash them with my tears.

I ask not aught whereof to boast,
But let me feel applied
The blood that ransom'd sinners lost,
And by Thy cross abide;
Myself the chief of sinners know,
Till all my griefs are pass'd,
And of my gracious acts below
Repentance be the last.

145. [Jesus, directed by Thy word]

Seek, and ye shall find. —vii. 7.

Jesus, directed by Thy word,
I seek a kingdom from above,
And I shall find it soon restored
In perfect power and perfect love.

146. [Father, I all Thy fulness want]

Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. —vii. 7.

Father, I all Thy fulness want:
The door of true repentance give,
The door of faith and mercy grant,
And let me in Thine image live;

197

When instant I in prayer abide,
When all Thy hallowing grace is given,
To' admit my soul, throw open wide
The everlasting doors of heaven.

147. [Every one who Thee believes]

Every one that asketh receiveth. —vii. 8.

Every one who Thee believes
And at Thy bidding prays,
Soon, or later, Lord, receives
The fulness of Thy grace:
Praying on while life remains,
Glad he lays his body down,
Gasps his final prayer, and gains
A never-fading crown.

148. [Have I not ask'd, and ask'd again]

Have I not ask'd, and ask'd again
And pray'd ten thousand times in vain
For power and liberty,
A man of lips and heart unclean?
Yet still I cannot cease from sin,
Yet still I am not free.

How can it be most gracious Lord,
If Thou art faithful to Thy word?
The sole exception I,
I seem of all the ransom'd race
Alone excluded from Thy grace,
And left in sin to die.

Do I not still for mercy pray?
Take this oppressive sin away,
This unbelief remove;
My desperate misery relieve,
And peace and power and freedom give
By giving me Thy love.

198

Why do I not receive it now?
Righteous in all Thy judgments Thou
Explain the mystery;
Or let me still in darkness own,
Howe'er unseen, howe'er unknown,
The hindrance is in me.

Could I but ask, and ask aright,
My Saviour soon would give me light,
Would soon Himself impart:
O for that supplicating power!
O might I from this happy hour
Obtain a praying heart!

Indulge me in this one request,
And lo, I trust Thee for the rest,
Thou God of faithful love,
And sure of all Thou canst bestow,
In sorrow or in joy I go
To praise Thy truth above.

149. [Away my faithless fear]

He that seeketh findeth. —vii. 8.

Away my faithless fear
That I shall seek in vain!
I must regain Thine image here,
I must Thyself regain;
Thy nature, and Thy mind,
Thy purity and love
I shortly upon earth shall find,
And then my place above.

150. [Have I not sought a length of years]

Have I not sought a length of years
And blindly follow'd on,
With joy and grief, with hopes and fears
Pursued the God unknown,

199

Through every means unwearied roved,
And search'd the desert round?
Yet still by me He is not loved,
By me He is not found.

How can I lose, if God is true,
My unavailing pain?
What is it keeps Him from my view,
And makes me seek in vain?
If every earnest seeker finds
The smiling Deity,
It must be sin my spirit blinds,
And hides my God from me.

The mountain dark that stands between
I cannot heave away,
Remove the separating sin
Or struggle into day;
I cannot find the hindrance out
With all my searching care,
But wander on in endless doubt
And sink in sad despair.

Thou great Incomprehensible,
To whom my heart is known,
Whose absence from my soul I feel,
And painfully bemoan;
The' obstructing thing, the secret bar
Discover by Thy light,
And now at last my soul prepare
To seek Thy face aright.

Thou bidd'st me seek, and Thy command
Confers the power to' obey:
And all in Thee may understand
The true and living Way:

200

Thy Father, Lord, to me reveal,
The faith Divine impart,
And then I see the' Invisible,
I find Him—in my heart.

151. [Thou art the Door: I knock at Thee]

To him that knocketh it shall be opened. —vii. 8.

Thou art the Door: I knock at Thee,
To be redeem'd from sin;
And soon Thy heart shall open'd be,
To take the suppliant in:
Thus will I all my life employ,
And wait the welcome word,
Enter into celestial joy,
And triumph with Thy Lord.

152. [Pleading in prayer the faithful word]

Pleading in prayer the faithful word,
The blessing I implore;
Open to me, most gracious Lord,
The penitential door:
At God's right hand with glory crown'd,
If crown'd for me Thou art,
By one kind look my spirit wound,
And break my flinty heart.

Strengthen'd by Thee to persevere,
In ceaseless prayer to pray,
Jesus, Thy earnest suppliant hear,
And mercy's door display;
The door of faith and pardoning grace
Now let it open'd be,
To' admit into the children's place
The chief of sinners, me.

An entrance through Thy speaking blood
Into the holiest give,

201

And bring me back by faith to God,
And with Thy saints receive:
Yet will I, Lord, my suit repeat,
For more abundant love,
Till Thou my urgent soul admit
Into Thy fold above.

153. [When undistinguishing I pray'd]

What man is there of you, whom if his son, &c. —vii. 9.

When undistinguishing I pray'd
For worldly good, instead of bread
I fondly ask'd a stone;
But for a stone, my loving God
Hath the true Bread on me bestow'd
By giving me His Son.

154. [Father, I ask in Jesu's name]

How much more shall your Father which, &c. —vii. 11.

Father, I ask in Jesu's name,
My hungry spirit feed,
With humble confidence I claim
The true immortal Bread:
As by His promise bound Thou art,
Thy Son bestow on me,
And fill with Christ my longing heart,
With all that is in Thee.

155. [Jesus, Thy Spirit's power exert]

Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, &c. —vii. 12.

Jesus, Thy Spirit's power exert,
Write the commandment on my heart,
And all my righteous life shall prove
The perfect law fulfill'd in love.

156. [Yet every one that seeks, shall find]

Few there be that find it. —vii. 14.

Yet every one that seeks, shall find
The gate display'd for all mankind,
(Who strive with unremitting strife,)
And passable the road to life,

202

A narrow, but an open road,
Quite open—through the wounds of God.

157. [Who like the thoughtless many live]

Who like the thoughtless many live
In worldly cares, or pleasures vain,
May their own wretched souls deceive,
But dead in sin they still remain,
The way to life they have not known,
Nor yet their Christian course begun.

Led blindfold by the blindfold guide,
Who boldly contradicts his God,
Down a broad beaten way they glide,
An easy, fashionable road;
Too late their fatal error feel,
Fallen into the ditch of hell.

158. [If few that find the narrow way]

If few that find the narrow way,
Fewer that enter'd in appear;
But fewer still the souls that stay,
That walk, hold on, and persevere,
And reach their Father's house above,
And gain the life of ripest love.

The way I through Thy grace have found,
Jesus, and shall herein remain:
But let Thy grace yet more abound,
And through Thy after-grief and pain
From step to step conduct me on,
To live a partner of Thy throne.

159. [Teach me the prophets smooth to shun]

Beware of false prophets. —vii. 15.

Teach me the prophets smooth to shun
Who wrap their words in softest love,
But lead their fond disciples down
A spacious way to joys above:

203

O may I still my station keep,
Hold fast Thy word, and cross, and mind,
Beware the clothing of the sheep,
Beware the language of the blind!

160. [Whoe'er for sin and Satan plead]

Ye shall know them by their fruits. —vii. 16.

Whoe'er for sin and Satan plead
Fruits of the flesh they surely bear,
To hell, not heaven, their doctrines lead;
And these the specious prophets are!
These by the beastly mark we know
(The mark Thou hast Thyself assign'd)
And on we to perfection go,
And leave the prophets false behind.

161. [Evil I then must be]

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. —vii. 18.

Evil I then must be
Who bring forth evil fruit:
Corrupt the fruit, corrupt the tree,
And most corrupt the root:
Whatever gift or grace
Thou hast on me bestow'd,
Lord, I with all my soul confess
That yet I am not good.

162. [Who teach that the most righteous man]

Who teach that the most righteous man
Must sin in thought, and word, and deed,
As Satan's advocates maintain
That evil doth from good proceed,
And boldly give our God the lie,
And Truth Himself in Christ deny.

163. [Must we not then with patience wait]

By their fruits ye shall know them. —vii. 20.

Must we not then with patience wait,
False to distinguish from sincere?

204

Or can we on another's state
Pronounce, before the fruits appear?
Can we the witnesses receive
Who of their own perfection boast,
The fairest words as fruit receive?
The fairest words are leaves at most.

How shall we then the spirits prove?
Their actions with their words compare,
And wait—till humblest meekest love
Their perfect nothingness declare:
But if the smallest spark of pride,
Or selfishness, break out at last,
Set the false-witnesses aside;
Yet hold the truth for ever fast.

164. [Canst thou with specious words deceive]

Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, &c. —vii. 21.

Canst thou with specious words deceive
The Searcher of thy reins and heart?
Fair words thou may'st to mortals give,
Persuading them how good thou art,
May'st perfect love to Christ profess;
But God thine inmost substance sees.

Actions He more than words requires,
Actions with right intention done,
Good works the fruit of good desires,
Obedience to His will alone,
Pure hope which seeks the things above,
Practical faith, and real love.

Who Jesus for their Lord receive
With all His dear commands comply;
To God, and not themselves, they live,
Their God in Christ they glorify;

205

And such their Lord shall own for His,
And crown with everlasting bliss.

165. [Master, (in faith I call Thee so]

Master, (in faith I call Thee so,
In faith which works by patient love,)
I now the plain distinction know,
Whom Thou dost judge, and whom approve;
The good man lives to serve Thy will,
The wicked doth his own fulfil.

Thy will, O Lord, whate'er I do,
My principle of action be:
Thy will I would through life pursue
Impell'd, restrain'd, and ruled by Thee,
And only think, and speak, and move,
As taught, and guided by Thy love.

While with my lips I call Thee Lord,
Thee let me with my heart confess,
Led by Thy Spirit and Thy word,
In all the paths of righteousness,
Fully on earth perform Thy will,
And rest upon Thy holy hill.

166. [We preach in Jesus' name in vain]

Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, &c. —vii. 22, 23.

We preach in Jesus' name in vain,
We write as champions of our Lord,
His kingdom's mysteries explain,
And do great wonders through His word;
If casting off the godly fear,
In crooked paths of sin we run,
We save the gracious souls that hear,
But lose, for ever lose our own.

Shall I be of that wretched crowd
Those workers of unrighteousness,

206

Rejected by an angry God,
And justly banish'd from Thy face?
Or now, while mercy may be found,
From all iniquity depart,
In all the fruits of grace abound,
And serve Thee with a loving heart?

167. [Let the rain descend, the flood]

It fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. —vii. 25.

Let the rain descend, the flood
And vehement wind assail,
Built on the eternal God
The house can never fail:
Built on Christ the Rock it stands:
Stablish'd in obedience sure,
Man, who keeps his God's commands,
Shall as his God endure.

Who on Jesus' love rely,
And keep His word of grace,
We the rain and storm defy,
And floods of wickedness:
Troubles pouring from above,
Men and fiends, like floods and wind,
Never can the house remove,
The soul on Christ reclined.

168. [Ah, foolish man, who hears Thy word]

It fell: and great was the fall of it. —vii. 27.

Ah, foolish man, who hears Thy word,
But doth not what Thy laws command,
Who fondly calls Thee Lamb, or Lord,
Till his house tumbles on the sand!
How infinite the ruin is
Of a lost soul, cut off from Thee!
He falls into the dark abyss,
He falls—to all eternity!

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER VII.

133.

[Jesus, rebuke my fiery zeal]

134.

[“Shall I my righteous zeal suppress]

135.

[Intentions, hearts to God are known]

136.

[Blind to our own through selfish love]

137.

[While faults in others I reprove]

138.

[Ye partisans of every sect]

139.

[If wilful sin hath blinded me]

140.

[Sin cannot duty supersede]

141.

[O may we never more expose]

142.

[If Thou the power of asking give]

143.

[Oft have I pray'd Thee to remove]

144.

[Thou bidd'st me ask, and while Thy word]

145.

[Jesus, directed by Thy word]

146.

[Father, I all Thy fulness want]

147.

[Every one who Thee believes]

148.

[Have I not ask'd, and ask'd again]

149.

[Away my faithless fear]

150.

[Have I not sought a length of years]

151.

[Thou art the Door: I knock at Thee]

152.

[Pleading in prayer the faithful word]

153.

[When undistinguishing I pray'd]

154.

[Father, I ask in Jesu's name]

155.

[Jesus, Thy Spirit's power exert]

156.

[Yet every one that seeks, shall find]

157.

[Who like the thoughtless many live]

158.

[If few that find the narrow way]

159.

[Teach me the prophets smooth to shun]

160.

[Whoe'er for sin and Satan plead]

161.

[Evil I then must be]

162.

[Who teach that the most righteous man]

163.

[Must we not then with patience wait]

164.

[Canst thou with specious words deceive]

165.

[Master, (in faith I call Thee so]

166.

[We preach in Jesus' name in vain]

167.

[Let the rain descend, the flood]

168.

[Ah, foolish man, who hears Thy word]