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| XIV. |
| XV. |
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| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
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| XX. |
| XXI. |
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| XIII. |
 | CHAPTER XVII. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
CHAPTER XVII.
429.
[Master of His own gifts, He takes]
Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John, &c.
—xvii. 1.
Master of His own gifts, He takes
His chosen up the rapturous hill,
A difference in His servants makes,
Exalts, and favours whom He will,
That none may claim his colleagues' place,
Or envy their superior grace.
His chosen up the rapturous hill,
A difference in His servants makes,
Exalts, and favours whom He will,
That none may claim his colleagues' place,
Or envy their superior grace.
His glory He on Tabor shows
To none but the distinguish'd few,
Design'd his agonizing throes
On gloomy Olivet to view,
To' adore Him in His power and pain,
Eternal God, and mortal man.
To none but the distinguish'd few,
Design'd his agonizing throes
On gloomy Olivet to view,
To' adore Him in His power and pain,
Eternal God, and mortal man.
305
430.
[To all the souls He owns for His]
And was transfigured before them: and, &c.
—xvii. 2.
To all the souls He owns for His
Our Master graciously imparts
An antepast of heavenly bliss,
A glimpse of glory in our hearts:
And thus prepared for grief and loss,
We die with Jesus on the cross.
431.
[Moses and the prophets speak]
Behold, there appeared unto them Moses, &c.
—xvii. 3.
Moses and the prophets speak
And witness to our Lord,
Him and only Him we seek
Throughout the sacred word:
When we find the Saviour there,
The figures and predictions shine,
Seen with Christ, they all declare
The Majesty Divine.
432.
[Good for us, Thy joy to share]
It is good for us to be here.
—xvii. 4.
Good for us, Thy joy to share,
And Tabor's glory see,
Better still, Thy cross to bear,
And bleed on Calvary:
Best of all, when nature dies
Echoing back Thy final groan:
Then to Zion's heights we rise,
And hail Thee on Thy throne!
433.
[O that all mankind might hear Him]
Hear ye Him.
—xvii. 5.
O that all mankind might hear Him,
Teacher, Friend of all mankind,
Every ransom'd soul revere Him,
In His blood redemption find!
Sinners, know your present Saviour,
Listen to His love's advice,
306
Find the way to paradise.
434.
[Jesus, extend Thine hand of grace]
Jesus came and touched them, and said, &c.
—xvii. 7.
Jesus, extend Thine hand of grace
And let me feel Thee near;
Thy only touch my soul can raise,
Can banish all my fear:
Thy only touch shall make me clean,
My nature purify,
Expel the unbelieving sin,
And raise me to the sky.
435.
[Confounded by Thy glory near]
Confounded by Thy glory near,
Saviour, to dissipate my fear,
Apply Thine outstretch'd hand,
Bid this poor abject soul arise,
Behold my Lord before mine eyes,
And in Thy presence stand.
Saviour, to dissipate my fear,
Apply Thine outstretch'd hand,
Bid this poor abject soul arise,
Behold my Lord before mine eyes,
And in Thy presence stand.
O that I none beside might see,
Left by Thy saints alone with Thee!
I ask no other grace;
Visions and ecstasies forego,
My whole delight Thy love to know,
And see Thy smiling face.
Left by Thy saints alone with Thee!
I ask no other grace;
Visions and ecstasies forego,
My whole delight Thy love to know,
And see Thy smiling face.
Put forth the virtue of Thy love,
Which only can my guilt remove,
My conscience purify;
Expel the unbelieving sin,
Make all my heart and nature clean,
And lift me to the sky.
Which only can my guilt remove,
My conscience purify;
Expel the unbelieving sin,
Make all my heart and nature clean,
And lift me to the sky.
436.
[A time there is to live alone]
Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision, &c.
—xvii. 9.
A time there is to live alone,
A time to' appear in open day,
307
And all the heavenly truth display:
But when to speak and when forbear,
Who wait the motions of our Lord,
Taught by His providence we are,
Led by His Spirit, and His word.
437.
[Not to surprise our Lord intends]
Elias truly shall first come, and restore all, &c.
—xvii. 11.
Not to surprise our Lord intends,
But waken those to whom He sends,
And every gospel-harbinger
Should sinners for His grace prepare:
Repent, as charged by Him they say,
Repent, and find the living Way,
Lay down your arms, to Christ submit,
And gasp for mercy at His feet.
438.
[In every age, the Saviour's grace]
Elias is come already.
—xvii. 12.
In every age, the Saviour's grace
Doth preachers of repentance raise,
Some zealous saint the law restores,
Confounds the idol-worshippers,
Compels the great themselves to hear,
Thunders in every thoughtless ear,
Alarms us by a serious call,
And shows the perfect way to all.
439.
[The portion this, the lot appears]
But have done unto him whatsoever they, &c.
—xvii. 12.
The portion this, the lot appears
Of Christ, and all His ministers,
Abandon'd to the cruel will
Of those who can the body kill:
Yet will we speak in Jesus' name,
Forerunners, followers of our God
Who seal'd His record with His blood.
308
440.
[See the murderer's rage and power]
There came to Him a certain man, &c.
—xvii. 14, 15.
See the murderer's rage and power
O'er feeble sinful man!
He would all our kind devour,
If Christ did not restrain:
Still himself the fiend abhorr'd,
In causes natural conceals,
Till our near-approaching Lord
The latent foe reveals.
O'er feeble sinful man!
He would all our kind devour,
If Christ did not restrain:
Still himself the fiend abhorr'd,
In causes natural conceals,
Till our near-approaching Lord
The latent foe reveals.
Then the slaves of Satan know
Their souls possess'd by him,
Feel diversity of woe,
And every dire extreme:
Then by fire and water tried,
His utmost tyranny they bear,
Cast into the flames of pride,
And plunged in deep despair.
Their souls possess'd by him,
Feel diversity of woe,
And every dire extreme:
Then by fire and water tried,
His utmost tyranny they bear,
Cast into the flames of pride,
And plunged in deep despair.
Willing to be rescued now,
To Jesus they draw nigh,
Tortured in His presence bow,
And meet His pitying eye;
Now their misery they confess,
With humble confidence display
All their sinful helplessness,
And for His mercy pray.
To Jesus they draw nigh,
Tortured in His presence bow,
And meet His pitying eye;
Now their misery they confess,
With humble confidence display
All their sinful helplessness,
And for His mercy pray.
441.
[The Saviour oft His help denies]
I brought him to Thy disciples, and they, &c.
—xvii. 16.
The Saviour oft His help denies,
Nor gives His ministers success,
That small and vile in their own eyes
They may their want of faith confess,
309
And all expect from Christ alone.
442.
[Sinners, that doubt His healing love]
Jesus . . . said, O faithless and perverse, &c.
—xvii. 17.
Sinners, that doubt His healing love,
The Saviour's indignation raise,
Whose bowels of compassion move
To all who feel their helplessness,
Who came from heaven the fiend to' expel,
And shed His blood our souls to heal.
443.
[Though harshness in His words appears]
Though harshness in His words appears,His heart is full of tenderness:
He chides His faithless ministers
Who could not heal their own disease,
Kindly their unbelief reproves,
He once condemns it, and removes.
444.
[How long wilt Thou with us abide]
How long shall I be with you? how long shall, &c.
—xvii. 17.
How long wilt Thou with us abide,
How long our froward manners bear?
Till hallow'd by Thy blood applied,
Stamp'd with Thy spotless character,
Our perfect nothingness we see,
And find our all of good in Thee.
445.
[Brought to Thy followers in vain]
Bring him hither to Me.
—xvii. 17.
Brought to Thy followers in vain,
By Satan and his sin possess'd,
Unclean, unsaved, I still remain;
But draw me, Saviour, to Thy breast,
But come Thyself into my soul,
And then Thy presence makes me whole.
310
446.
[Through faith our friends we bring to Thee]
Through faith our friends we bring to Thee,(Ourselves by Satan long possess'd,)
Pity and set the captives free,
Drive the foul fiend out of their breast,
The world and sin Thyself expel,
And in their souls for ever dwell.
447.
[Satan the instrument defies]
Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out, &c.
—xvii. 18.
Satan the instrument defies,
Unarm'd with that almighty power,
Which cast him flaming from the skies,
And reigns throughout his dreary hour:
But quits us at our Lord's command;
For Christ he never can withstand.
Unarm'd with that almighty power,
Which cast him flaming from the skies,
And reigns throughout his dreary hour:
But quits us at our Lord's command;
For Christ he never can withstand.
Some desperate souls the God of grace
Reserves to make His goodness known,
He cures them in peculiar ways,
He all performs Himself alone
Without His ministers, to show
They without Him can nothing do.
Reserves to make His goodness known,
He cures them in peculiar ways,
He all performs Himself alone
Without His ministers, to show
They without Him can nothing do.
Instructed thus, from man we cease,
Through ministers to Jesus look,
Our only refuge in distress,
Who all our sin and sickness took,
Whose power effects whate'er He wills,
Whose mercy in an instant heals.
Through ministers to Jesus look,
Our only refuge in distress,
Who all our sin and sickness took,
Whose power effects whate'er He wills,
Whose mercy in an instant heals.
448.
[Author of faith, on me confer]
If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, &c.
—xvii. 20.
Author of faith, on me confer
The all-obtaining grace,
Which wrestles and receives in prayer
Thy largest promises;
The faith unfeign'd and unreproved,
Which can the test abide
From false humility removed,
And self-deluding pride.
The all-obtaining grace,
Which wrestles and receives in prayer
Thy largest promises;
311
Which can the test abide
From false humility removed,
And self-deluding pride.
A perfect confidence inspire
From all presumption free,
A holy boldness to desire
The thing prepared for me;
A wisdom to discern and know
The time by God design'd,
A strength that will not let Thee go
Till I the blessing find.
From all presumption free,
A holy boldness to desire
The thing prepared for me;
A wisdom to discern and know
The time by God design'd,
A strength that will not let Thee go
Till I the blessing find.
Empower me by Thy Spirit within
To bid the weight depart,
The mountain of Adamic sin
To drive out of my heart:
I trust Thee in due season, Lord,
My nature to remove,
And by Thine own almighty word
Renew my soul in love.
To bid the weight depart,
The mountain of Adamic sin
To drive out of my heart:
I trust Thee in due season, Lord,
My nature to remove,
And by Thine own almighty word
Renew my soul in love.
449.
[Nothing impossible shall be]
Nothing shall be impossible unto you.
—xvii. 20.
Nothing impossible shall be
To God's effectual power,
To Christ the power of God in me,
To me who Christ adore;
To all who on the Truth rely,
Who dare my God believe,
All things are possible, and I
Here without sin shall live.
450.
[The spirit unclean will still remain]
This kind goeth not out, but by prayer, &c.
—xvii. 21.
The spirit unclean will still remain
In every careless heart,
312
The tempter to depart;
The prayer and fast which God hath chose
Whole legions shall expel
Of beastly lusts, and devilish foes,
And chase them back to hell.
451.
[Sinners should lament and wail]
The Son of Man shall be betrayed, &c.
—xvii. 22, 23.
Sinners should lament and wail
Sunk so near the' abyss of hell,
Nothing from that gaping grave
But the death of God could save!
Sinners should with comfort rise,
Lift to heaven their thankful eyes,
Glad, that God, through love extreme,
Died Himself to ransom them!
452.
[Master, I want Thy tenderness]
Lest we should offend them.
—xvii. 27.
Master, I want Thy tenderness,
Thy boundless charity,
Not to offend, not to displease
The men that know not Thee:
Rather than stumble friend or foe,
I too would wrong sustain,
And every privilege forego,
One precious soul to gain.
453.
[Our Lord's humility we praise]
That take, and give unto them for Me, &c.
—xvii. 27.
Our Lord's humility we praise,
Who doth our needy nature take
And every ordinance obeys
Of man, as subject, for our sake:
313
Who pays the debt He never owed,
While by an act of sovereign power
His greatness pays it, as a God.
454.
[The condescending grace Divine]
The condescending grace Divine,The mind of Jesus who receive,
Their rights into His hands resign,
And by His meek example live:
O could I gain His liberty,
O could I His obedience prove,
By faith from every creature free,
But subjected to all by love!
| CHAPTER XVII. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |