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| XXIII. | CHAPTER XXIII. |
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 | CHAPTER XXIII. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
358
CHAPTER XXIII.
565.
[The' appointed teachers now]
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and, &c.
—xxiii. 1–3.
The' appointed teachers now
The chair of Moses fill:
To them by Thy command I bow,
Respect, and hear them still:
I hear them read, or preach,
With reverential awe,
And gladly do whate'er they teach
Out of Thy sacred law.
The chair of Moses fill:
To them by Thy command I bow,
Respect, and hear them still:
I hear them read, or preach,
With reverential awe,
And gladly do whate'er they teach
Out of Thy sacred law.
But me Thy word forbids
Implicitly to' obey,
Or do according to their deeds
When from Thy paths they stray:
When Thee their lives despise,
Or contradict Thy word,
I stop my ears, and shut my eyes,
And only mind my Lord.
Implicitly to' obey,
Or do according to their deeds
When from Thy paths they stray:
When Thee their lives despise,
Or contradict Thy word,
I stop my ears, and shut my eyes,
And only mind my Lord.
566.
[Modest, not singular in dress]
They make broad their phylacteries, and, &c.
—xxiii. 5.
Modest, not singular in dress
Becomes the Christian character:
We stem the torrent of excess,
But not like Pharisees appear:
We cannot scorn the crowd below,
Though simpler in our dress than them,
Or rigidly affect to show
Religion in our garment's hem.
Becomes the Christian character:
We stem the torrent of excess,
But not like Pharisees appear:
We cannot scorn the crowd below,
Though simpler in our dress than them,
Or rigidly affect to show
Religion in our garment's hem.
Who boast their forms, without the power,
Their godliness in rituals place;
We seek the living God to' adore
In the true Spirit of His grace,
By no external badges known
Who Jesus for our Lord receive,
By real holiness alone
Distinguish'd from the world we live.
Their godliness in rituals place;
We seek the living God to' adore
In the true Spirit of His grace,
359
Who Jesus for our Lord receive,
By real holiness alone
Distinguish'd from the world we live.
567.
[O may I never dare receive]
Be not ye called Rabbi.
—xxiii. 8.
O may I never dare receive
From blind simplicity
The reverence which poor worms would give
To man, instead of Thee!
O may I still their praise reject
Who hang upon my word,
Refuse to lead the' implicit sect,
And send them to their Lord!
568.
[Absolute faith, O Lord, I owe]
Call no man your father.
—xxiii. 9.
Absolute faith, O Lord, I owe
To Thee and none beside,
Thine only word and Spirit know
My never-erring guide;
Submission absolute I pay
To no commands but Thine;
But taught through man, rejoice to' obey,
The' authority Divine.
569.
[We in His ministers and word]
Neither be ye called masters: for One is your, &c.
—xxiii. 10.
We in His ministers and word
To Christ alone attend,
Our Master and our only Lord,
Who did from heaven descend:
That Prophet sent of God we hear,
The true eternal Light,
Who gives to souls the hearing ear,
And always speaks aright.
To Christ alone attend,
Our Master and our only Lord,
Who did from heaven descend:
That Prophet sent of God we hear,
The true eternal Light,
Who gives to souls the hearing ear,
And always speaks aright.
360
Jesus, the Word, the Life, the Way,
The Truth itself Thou art:
Thy quickening voice with power to' obey
Inspires the willing heart;
The strength to walk in all Thy ways
Thou bring'st us from above,
And through the Spirit of Thy grace
We serve the God we love.
The Truth itself Thou art:
Thy quickening voice with power to' obey
Inspires the willing heart;
The strength to walk in all Thy ways
Thou bring'st us from above,
And through the Spirit of Thy grace
We serve the God we love.
570.
[Tremble, ye fond of human praise]
Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased.
—xxiii. 12.
Tremble, ye fond of human praise,
Who seek, or love, the highest place,
Who rich in sacred honours rise!
Proud of your every grace and gift,
Like Lucifer, yourselves ye lift,
And set your thrones above the skies:
Who seek, or love, the highest place,
Who rich in sacred honours rise!
Proud of your every grace and gift,
Like Lucifer, yourselves ye lift,
And set your thrones above the skies:
But the Most-High shall cast you down,
If now ye will not fear His frown,
His vengeful wrath ye soon shall feel,
Defeated of your glorious aim,
O'erwhelm'd with everlasting shame,
Debased into the lowest hell.
If now ye will not fear His frown,
His vengeful wrath ye soon shall feel,
Defeated of your glorious aim,
O'erwhelm'd with everlasting shame,
Debased into the lowest hell.
571.
[Myself I cannot humble make]
He that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
—xxiii. 12.
Myself I cannot humble make,
Yet may I, Lord, the succour take
Proffer'd, implied, in Thy command;
May lay my haughty looks aside,
Resist the thought engendering pride,
And stoop beneath Thy mighty hand:
Yet may I, Lord, the succour take
Proffer'd, implied, in Thy command;
May lay my haughty looks aside,
Resist the thought engendering pride,
And stoop beneath Thy mighty hand:
If to Thy hand of power I stoop,
Thy hand of love shall lift me up
To heights of holiness unknown,
Thy love's omnipotence shall raise
The vessel of Thy perfect grace,
And seat me on Thy azure throne.
Thy hand of love shall lift me up
To heights of holiness unknown,
361
The vessel of Thy perfect grace,
And seat me on Thy azure throne.
572.
[On simple souls sincere]
Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, &c.
—xxiii. 13.
On simple souls sincere
Eight blessings He bestows;
The hypocrites He loads severe
With eight tremendous woes!
Their just desert declares,
Foretells their fearful doom
That warn'd their successors and heirs
May escape the wrath to come.
Eight blessings He bestows;
The hypocrites He loads severe
With eight tremendous woes!
Their just desert declares,
Foretells their fearful doom
That warn'd their successors and heirs
May escape the wrath to come.
Ye Scribes and Pharisees,
Who sit in Moses' seat,
Your true succession we confess,
And to your sway submit:
Ye claim the rulers' chair,
But not their chair alone,
Their false religious character
Their woes are all your own.
Who sit in Moses' seat,
Your true succession we confess,
And to your sway submit:
Ye claim the rulers' chair,
But not their chair alone,
Their false religious character
Their woes are all your own.
Who feign a zeal for God,
The God ye never knew,
Ambitious, covetous, and proud,
Ye prove the charge is true:
Ye will not Christ obey,
By grace through faith forgiven,
But still obstruct the royal way,
And block us out of heaven.
The God ye never knew,
Ambitious, covetous, and proud,
Ye prove the charge is true:
Ye will not Christ obey,
By grace through faith forgiven,
But still obstruct the royal way,
And block us out of heaven.
The preachers ye defame,
Out of your church expel,
Forbid to speak in Jesus' name,
And save poor souls from hell:
'Gainst those who flee from sin,
And would be truly poor,
And seek and strive to enter in,
Ye shut the gospel door.
Out of your church expel,
362
And save poor souls from hell:
'Gainst those who flee from sin,
And would be truly poor,
And seek and strive to enter in,
Ye shut the gospel door.
573.
[Long forms of prayer ye say]
Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, &c.
—xxiii. 14.
Long forms of prayer ye say,
As purposed heaven to buy,
And challenge as your lawful prey
What should the poor supply:
Or lull'd in slothful ease
In honours, pomp, and power,
The church's patrimony seize
And greedily devour.
As purposed heaven to buy,
And challenge as your lawful prey
What should the poor supply:
Or lull'd in slothful ease
In honours, pomp, and power,
The church's patrimony seize
And greedily devour.
Insatiate still for more
Ye heap up treasures here;
Ye heap up wrath in larger store
And vengeance more severe.
Ye cast your God behind,
Your souls to Mammon sell,
And at your last translation find
The highest seats in hell.
Ye heap up treasures here;
Ye heap up wrath in larger store
And vengeance more severe.
Ye cast your God behind,
Your souls to Mammon sell,
And at your last translation find
The highest seats in hell.
574.
[May I, observant of the least]
Ye . . . have omitted the weightier matters of the law.
—xxiii. 23.
May I, observant of the least,
Most careful in the greatest prove,
And show throughout my life express'd
Justice, fidelity, and love.
575.
[Hear this, who at a trifle strain]
Ye . . . strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
—xxiii. 24.
Hear this, who at a trifle strain,
So strict—and obstinate—and proud,
Who keep the private rules of men,
And break the open laws of God!
363
576.
[The witnesses ye praise]
Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, &c.
—xxiii. 29–31.
The witnesses ye praise
Long since to glory gone,
Extol the saints of ancient days,
Of all, except your own:
Those murderers of the good
Your ancestors ye blame,
Who shed the blessed martyrs' blood;
And do yourselves the same.
Long since to glory gone,
Extol the saints of ancient days,
Of all, except your own:
Those murderers of the good
Your ancestors ye blame,
Who shed the blessed martyrs' blood;
And do yourselves the same.
“Ah, no: we disavow
The bloody Popish crew,
We tolerate all religions now,
Or all—except the true!”
Your malice ye deny
In words as smooth as theirs,
And thus yourselves ye testify
Their genuine sons and heirs.
The bloody Popish crew,
We tolerate all religions now,
Or all—except the true!”
Your malice ye deny
In words as smooth as theirs,
And thus yourselves ye testify
Their genuine sons and heirs.
577.
[By turning now to Thee our Lord]
How can ye escape the damnation of hell?
—xxiii. 33.
By turning now to Thee our Lord,
Though to the brink of Tophet driven,
We all may escape the dreadful word,
We all may fly from hell to heaven.
578.
[Ye envious Scribes who tread]
That upon you may come all the righteous, &c.
—xxiii. 35.
Ye envious Scribes who tread
The path your fathers trod,
Ye draw their guilt upon your head,
With all the martyrs' blood;
For judgment ripe at last
Ye bring the former down,
Renew the crimes of ages pass'd,
And make them all your own.
The path your fathers trod,
Ye draw their guilt upon your head,
With all the martyrs' blood;
For judgment ripe at last
Ye bring the former down,
Renew the crimes of ages pass'd,
And make them all your own.
364
The blood of Abel cries
To raise your judgment higher;
The blood of Zachary replies,
And echoes back “Require!”
The long-continued chain
Of woes on you shall come,
And saints beneath the altar slain
Demand your instant doom.
To raise your judgment higher;
The blood of Zachary replies,
And echoes back “Require!”
The long-continued chain
Of woes on you shall come,
And saints beneath the altar slain
Demand your instant doom.
579.
[Thou Holy One and Just]
Thou Holy One and Just,
By envious brethren slain,
We in Thy blood of sprinkling trust
Which purges every stain;
Which speaks the better things,
Which speaks our sins forgiven,
And heaven to all our souls it brings,
And all our souls to heaven.
By envious brethren slain,
We in Thy blood of sprinkling trust
Which purges every stain;
Which speaks the better things,
Which speaks our sins forgiven,
And heaven to all our souls it brings,
And all our souls to heaven.
Our zealous great High-Priest
By Zachary foreshown,
Whom, for Thy love of truth oppress'd,
We our Redeemer own;
Thy goodness we admire
Which bade Thy murderers live;
The type in death cried out, Require,
The Antitype Forgive!
By Zachary foreshown,
Whom, for Thy love of truth oppress'd,
We our Redeemer own;
Thy goodness we admire
Which bade Thy murderers live;
The type in death cried out, Require,
The Antitype Forgive!
580.
[How kindly, Lord, dost Thou lament]
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
—xxiii. 37.
How kindly, Lord, dost Thou lament
Their sinful misery,
Who will not, while they may, repent,
And Thy salvation see!
365
Jerusalem shall prove
Thou wouldst not have one sinner die
Excluded from Thy love.
581.
[How often who can tell!]
How often would I have gathered thy children!
—xxiii. 37.
How often who can tell!
The heights of love unknown,
The depths unsearchable
Are hid in Christ alone:
But shelter'd now within
My dear Redeemer's breast,
Secure from hell and sin
I shall for ever rest.
582.
[“I would, and ye would not,”]
I would, . . . and ye would not.
—xxiii. 37.
“I would, and ye would not,”
What daring blasphemy,
For reprobates so dearly bought
To charge their death on Thee!
But O, before they die,
The reprobates forgive,
And by Thy gracious will may I
With them for ever live.
583.
[YOUR house, no longer Mine]
Behold; your house is left unto you desolate. &c.
—xxiii. 38, 39.
YOUR
house, no longer Mine,
Lo, to yourselves I leave,
My flock forsake, My charge resign,
And to destruction give!
The desolating curse
Doth still alas take place,
And hunts throughout the universe
The long-rejected race.
Lo, to yourselves I leave,
My flock forsake, My charge resign,
And to destruction give!
The desolating curse
Doth still alas take place,
And hunts throughout the universe
The long-rejected race.
366
But O, they shall once more
Their slighted Saviour see,
With joyful hearts at last adore,
And own that Thou art He!
Come, Lord, and quickly come,
The long-lost sheep to find,
And call Thine ancient people home
To quicken all mankind.
Their slighted Saviour see,
With joyful hearts at last adore,
And own that Thou art He!
Come, Lord, and quickly come,
The long-lost sheep to find,
And call Thine ancient people home
To quicken all mankind.
| CHAPTER XXIII. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |