The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

By miracle the crowd He fed,
But let His own disciples need;
Present they their great Master see,
Yet feel the deepest poverty:
And shall a plaintive sinner faint,
As left in indigence and want,
When Christ doth us relief afford,
As quite forsaken of his Lord?

257

What if we pine for want of bread
When first we in His footsteps tread,
Better to share our Lord's distress,
Than plenty with the world possess:
Thankful the honour I receive,
Saviour, the needy life to live,
Sweet fellowship with Thee to prove,
And have no riches but Thy love.

296. [How few that saying understand]

If ye had known what this meaneth, I will, &c. —xii. 7.

How few that saying understand
Or practically know,
Mercy is the supreme command,
We first should mercy show:
The smiles of God we cannot gain
By outward sacrifice;
But genuine charity to man
He never will despise.

Our alms and works of righteousness,
Our abstinence and prayer,
Our sacraments can never please,
If mercy is not there:
But when His mercy we partake,
He must our spirit approve,
Who all mankind for Jesus' sake
In Jesus' bowels love.

297. [Saviour, Thy sacred day]

The Son of Man is Lord even of the sabbath-day. —xii. 8.

Saviour, Thy sacred day
Is subject to Thy sway,
Made Thy pleasure to fulfil;
Thou the Son of Man alone
Canst, according to Thy will,
Abrogate or change Thine own.

258

Thy love the day design'd
A blessing to mankind:
But Thy more abundant grace,
Gospel-grace unsearchable,
Bade the Jewish feast give place,
Fix'd the Christian festival.

Lord of the hallow'd day,
Once more Thy power display;
Now returning from above,
Change it to that heavenly feast,
Sabbath of celestial love,
Sabbath of eternal rest.

298. [What words of horror can explain]

Wherefore it is lawful to do well. —xii. 12.

What words of horror can explain
The heart corrupt of sinful man,
Who strangely asks his God to prove
The lawfulness of saving love!

299. [The word of Christ alone]

Then saith He to the man, Stretch forth thine, &c. —xii. 13.

The word of Christ alone
New life and vigour gives
Who first our helplessness makes known,
And then our souls relieves:
Like wither'd hands they are,
Yet strength if He ordain,
We stretch them forth to God by prayer,
By alms and helps to man.

300. [Jesus, the grace re-give]

Jesus, the grace re-give,
Which I have cast away:
I cannot now, as once, believe,
I cannot, cannot pray:

259

Speak, and the wither'd hand
Of faith shall be restored,
Exert its power at Thy command,
And apprehend its Lord.

301. [How envy blinds the Pharisees!]

Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council, &c. —xii. 14.

How envy blinds the Pharisees!
On Sabbaths 'tis a crime to heal,
On Sabbaths, if their God displease,
'Tis good in them their God to kill!

302. [The man of God, like Christ, gives place]

But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew, &c. —xii. 15.

The man of God, like Christ, gives place,
No longer useful in His cause,
Nor tempts a blindfold harden'd race,
But from the furious world withdraws,
The' occasion of their sin removes,
And leaves the foes he wisely loves.

303. [Can we follow Christ in vain?]

Great multitudes followed Him, and He healed, &c. —xii. 15.

Can we follow Christ in vain?
Can we follow Christ at all,
Him unless His love constrain
Us after Himself to call?
But the Friend of human race
Shows Himself our Saviour still,
Draws us by His powerful grace,
Draws whom He designs to heal.

Jesus truly doth forgive
Every weak distemper'd soul
Who to their Physician cleave,
Makes and keeps His patients whole:
But if Him we will forsake,
If He cease the balm to' apply,

260

We into our sins fall back,
Lose His love, despair, and die.

304. [Jesus, to Thee I cry]

I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He, &c. —xii. 18.

Jesus, to Thee I cry,
The worst of heathens I:
Manifest the gospel-grace,
Peace and joy and love Divine,
Show my heart Thy righteousness
Made by implantation mine.

Thou only canst confer
The promised Comforter;
That Thou might'st to sinners give,
God on Thee His Spirit bestow'd
That with Thee I might receive
All the plenitude of God.

305. [Thou lovely, meek, and gentle Lamb]

He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall, &c. —xii. 19.

Thou lovely, meek, and gentle Lamb,
Pattern of pure humility,
Call'd after Thy own name I am,
And fain I would resemble Thee,
'Scape from a world of noise and strife,
And fly the glare of public life.

Not brawling, popular, and loud,
But silent, as the Man of woe,
Instruct me to decline the crowd,
And meekly after Thee to go,
And quietly, like Thee, resign
My soul into the hands Divine.

306. [No, I find He never will]

A bruised reed shall He not break, and, &c. —xii. 20.

No, I find He never will,
(Jesus is a Saviour still,)

261

He who kindled my desire
Will not let the spark expire:
Love, that bears so long with me,
Shall obtain the victory,
All His power at last exert,
Fix the kingdom in my heart.

307. [His name is Jesus Christ the just]

In His name shall the Gentiles trust. —xii. 21.

His name is Jesus Christ the just,
My advocate with God:
In Him alone I put my trust
Who bought me with His blood;
A sinner of the Gentiles I
My pardoning Lord embrace,
And on His only name rely
For all His depths of grace.

A sinner still, though saved I am,
And this is all my boast;
I hang upon a God, who came
To seek and save the lost:
The Object of my love and fear,
Who hath my sins forgiven,
Shall sink me into nothing here,
And lift me up to heaven.

308. [How near ye to the confines run]

The Pharisees said, This fellow doth not, &c. —xii. 24.

How near ye to the confines run
Of sin unpardonably great,
God's finger who refuse to own
In men whom for their good ye hate!

309. [Whoe'er submits to sin's commands]

How can one enter into a strong man's house, &c. —xii. 29.

Whoe'er submits to sin's commands,
His soul into the tempter's hands
With full consent he gives,

262

He entertains the fiend abhorr'd,
And Satan as his lawful lord
Into his heart receives.

Fit mansion for the spirit impure,
He sleeps in sinful peace secure
Till the Redeemer come,
Till Christ omnipotent in grace
The' usurper from His palace chase,
And take up all the room.

Saviour, the human house is Thine,
To this poor captive soul of mine
Thy sovereign right assert,
Resume Thine own by entering in,
Bind the strong man entrench'd in sin,
And force him to depart.

My spirit's whole capacity
By double right belongs to Thee;
The tyrant now expel,
Thy purchased goods again possess,
And in this house of holiness,
My Lord for ever dwell.

310. [By not appearing on Thy side]

He that is not with Me is against Me. —xii. 30.

By not appearing on Thy side
I sided with Thy foes,
By not confessing I denied,
And dared my Lord oppose:
But lo, henceforward I abhor
The base neutrality,
Wage 'gainst Thy foes eternal war,
And live, and die with Thee.

263

311. [All kinds and all degrees of sin]

All manner of sin . . . shall be forgiven. —xii. 31.

All kinds and all degrees of sin
Wilt Thou indeed forgive?
Then I, even I may be made clean,
And in Thy presence live:
Lord, I expect Thy promised grace;
And when Thou hast forgiven,
Pardon shall lead to holiness,
And holiness to heaven.

312. [This is that sin of sins]

The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall, &c. —xii. 31.

This is that sin of sins,
That mortal blasphemy,
Ascribing to the devils' prince
The wonders wrought by Thee!
But from its guilt secure
In Thee our souls we hide;
And trust Thy blood to make us pure
From every sin beside.

313. [Are words the proof of sin forgiven?]

The tree is known by his fruit. —xii. 33.

Are words the proof of sin forgiven?
Then Satan might return to heaven,
And every Antinomian liar
Escape that everlasting fire:
His faith the pardon'd sinner shows,
While after holiness he goes,
And loves throughout his life to' express
The genuine fruits of righteousness.

314. [The grace if actions cannot prove]

The grace if actions cannot prove,
Will words demonstrate perfect love?
And if there no criterion be,
How shall we e'er discern the tree?

264

But actions evidently show
The stock distinct on which they grow,
The saint's, or sinner's heart explain;
Or God laid down a test in vain.

315. [I cannot speak a word, or do]

How can ye, being evil, speak good things? —xii. 34.

I cannot speak a word, or do
An action truly good,
Till Thou, O Lord, my heart renew,
And wash me in Thy blood:
But when in me Thy Spirit of grace
Doth power and utterance give,
I then shall speak my Saviour's praise,
And to Thy glory live.

316. [How then shall sinners meet the Lord]

Every idle word that men shall speak, they, &c. —xii. 36.

How then shall sinners meet the Lord,
Or His dread day abide,
If cast for every idle word,
Who can be justified?
The men who freely pardon'd here
On Jesu's death depend,
Shall boldly at the bar appear,
And find the Judge their Friend.

317. [Thee Jesus, our true Jonas, Thee]

As Jonas was three days and three nights, &c. —xii. 40.

Thee Jesus, our true Jonas, Thee
We own our great prophetic Lord,
The voluntary Victim see,
Out of the yawning deep restored,
Raised on the third triumphant morn
Thou didst to glorious life return.

Raised to Thine everlasting throne,
Thou didst the' apostate Jews forsake,

265

To preach Thy saving grace unknown,
The Gentiles for Thy church to take,
A world of Ninevites convert,
And break my poor rebellious heart.

318. [Greater than Solomon is He]

A Greater than Solomon is here. —xii. 42.

Greater than Solomon is He,
Whom with the eyes of faith I see
In mortal flesh appear:
For when He doth His Spirit impart,
And speaks in my believing heart,
Wisdom Himself is here.

319. [Whoe'er their indolent delight]

When he is come, he findeth it empty, &c. —xii. 44.

Whoe'er their indolent delight
In ease and pleasure take,
They the ejected fiend invite,
And court him to come back;
By pride and sloth to every sin
They open wide the door;
And lo, a legion enters in,
And never leaves them more.

That Satan never more may find
Into my heart his way,
I'll walk in all the paths enjoin'd,
And fast, and watch, and pray,
In all the works of righteousness
With humble zeal employ'd,
And keep the house, the hallow'd place
For ever fill'd with God.

320. [Yes, my Lord may justly leave me]

The last state of that man is worse than the first. —xii. 45.

Yes, my Lord may justly leave me,
Me who first my Lord forsook,

266

Never, never more forgive me,
Blot my name out of His book:
But if I, again forgiven,
Reach at last the happy shore,
How shall all the hosts of heaven
Shout, and wonder, and adore!

321. [Lord, what is man's distinguish'd race]

Behold My mother and My brethren! —xii. 49.

Lord, what is man's distinguish'd race,
Whom Thou dost for Thy brethren own,
Crown'd with a dignity and grace
To brightest seraphim unknown!
Who do on earth Thy Father's will,
Most closely to their Lord allied
Shall meet Thee on the heavenly hill,
And reign triumphant at Thy side.

322. [The Christian apostolic man]

Whosoever shall do the will of My Father, &c. —xii. 50.

The Christian apostolic man,
Loosed from the ties of flesh and blood,
Superior to desire and pain,
Labours and speaks and lives for God:
He lives his pleasure to fulfil:
And who their heavenly Father own,
And faithfully perform His will,
He knows and cleaves to them alone.

His passions changed and sanctified
With more than nature's warmth embrace
The precious souls, to his allied
By all the tenderest ties of grace:
Relations all in one he proves
To saints begot by Jesus' word,
And with Divine affection loves
The kindred of his dearest Lord.

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XII.

295.

[By miracle the crowd He fed]

296.

[How few that saying understand]

297.

[Saviour, Thy sacred day]

298.

[What words of horror can explain]

299.

[The word of Christ alone]

300.

[Jesus, the grace re-give]

301.

[How envy blinds the Pharisees!]

302.

[The man of God, like Christ, gives place]

303.

[Can we follow Christ in vain?]

304.

[Jesus, to Thee I cry]

305.

[Thou lovely, meek, and gentle Lamb]

306.

[No, I find He never will]

307.

[His name is Jesus Christ the just]

308.

[How near ye to the confines run]

309.

[Whoe'er submits to sin's commands]

310.

[By not appearing on Thy side]

311.

[All kinds and all degrees of sin]

312.

[This is that sin of sins]

313.

[Are words the proof of sin forgiven?]

314.

[The grace if actions cannot prove]

315.

[I cannot speak a word, or do]

316.

[How then shall sinners meet the Lord]

317.

[Thee Jesus, our true Jonas, Thee]

318.

[Greater than Solomon is He]

319.

[Whoe'er their indolent delight]

320.

[Yes, my Lord may justly leave me]

321.

[Lord, what is man's distinguish'd race]

322.

[The Christian apostolic man]