 | I. |
 |
|
| I. |
| II. |
|
|
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
 | CHAPTER IV. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
CHAPTER IV.
836.
[Christ and whoe'er His doctrine preach]
And said unto them in His doctrine.
—iv. 2.
Christ and whoe'er His doctrine preach,
Not as the world's declaimers teach;
His doctrine speaks of Him alone,
With secret energy unknown,
And sweetly doth the heart incline,
And proves itself the word Divine.
Not as the world's declaimers teach;
His doctrine speaks of Him alone,
With secret energy unknown,
And sweetly doth the heart incline,
And proves itself the word Divine.
Who publish His authentic word,
Preach not themselves, but Christ the Lord,
Preachers of real righteousness,
Of glorious joy and heavenly peace,
They spread the virtue from above,
The pure morality of love.
Preach not themselves, but Christ the Lord,
Preachers of real righteousness,
Of glorious joy and heavenly peace,
They spread the virtue from above,
The pure morality of love.
Jesus, Thy messengers prepare,
Thy genuine gospel to declare;
Reveal in them the mystery,
And make them apt to teach, like Thee,
And faithfully Thy people feed,
And nourish souls with living bread.
Thy genuine gospel to declare;
Reveal in them the mystery,
And make them apt to teach, like Thee,
And faithfully Thy people feed,
And nourish souls with living bread.
Attended by Thy Spirit's power
Before them set an open door;
The word Thou dost vouchsafe to bless
Shall yield an hundredfold increase,
And every prosper'd messenger
Save his own soul, with theirs that hear.
Before them set an open door;
472
Shall yield an hundredfold increase,
And every prosper'd messenger
Save his own soul, with theirs that hear.
837.
[He understands the word aright]
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
—iv. 9.
He understands the word aright
Of Jesus' ministers,
Who hears with care, and takes delight
To practise what he hears:
But only God the willing mind,
The listening ear can give,
The grace which all may seek and find,
May ask it, and receive.
838.
[Thy own word I bring to Thee]
When He was alone, they . . . asked of Him, &c.
—iv. 10.
Thy own word I bring to Thee
(Left with my great Lord alone);
Scatter the obscurity,
Make the hidden meaning known:
Dark Thou know'st I am and blind,
Let Thy Spirit's grace bestow'd
Lead me into all the mind,
All the mysteries of God.
839.
[Reason's glimmering light is vain]
Unto you it is given to know the mystery, &c.
—iv. 11.
Reason's glimmering light is vain,
Till Thy Spirit I receive:
He Thy language must explain,
He must give me to believe:
When the precious gift is mine,
Then I know the mystery,
Feel the power of love Divine
Stablishing its throne in me.
Till Thy Spirit I receive:
He Thy language must explain,
He must give me to believe:
When the precious gift is mine,
Then I know the mystery,
Feel the power of love Divine
Stablishing its throne in me.
473
Yet I cannot proudly scorn
Those without, who nothing know:
Of Thy word and Spirit born
All I am to grace I owe,
Those without may be brought in,
I receive the faith in vain,
I may forfeit it by sin,
They by grace the kingdom gain.
Those without, who nothing know:
Of Thy word and Spirit born
All I am to grace I owe,
Those without may be brought in,
I receive the faith in vain,
I may forfeit it by sin,
They by grace the kingdom gain.
840.
[Our ignorance 'tis Thine to show]
Know ye not this parable? and how, &c.
—iv. 13.
Our ignorance 'tis Thine to show,
And make us sensible
We never can the mysteries know
Which Thou dost not reveal:
All Scripture hence we plainly see
By inspiration given,
And wait, O Lord, till taught of Thee
We teach the way to heaven.
841.
[The word in every one]
The sower soweth the word.
—iv. 14.
The word in every one
Who faithfully receives,
An earnest of his bliss begun,
A seed of glory lives:
But let it still increase,
A tree of life arise,
And yield the fruits of righteousness,
The fruits of paradise.
842.
[The bare external word]
The bare external wordA human sower sows;
But our unseen almighty Lord
The power and grace bestows,
474
The persevering root,
The fertile ground, the heart sincere,
The growth and perfect fruit.
843.
[Who untried himself can know?]
They . . . receive the word with gladness, &c.
—iv. 16, 17.
Who untried himself can know?
Trials make the heart appear:
Joy if Thou on me bestow,
Guard it, Lord, with modest fear;
Nature's ostentatious pride,
Self-delight far off remove,
Then I shall the test abide,
Rooted deep in humble love.
844.
[Saviour I in Thee confide]
The lusts of other things entering in, choke, &c.
—iv. 19.
Saviour I in Thee confide:
How shall I Thy grace retain?
Aught if I desire beside,
All my good desires are vain:
Lest the world ensnare my heart,
Banish every thought of Thee,
Entering now, no more depart,
Christ be all in all to me.
845.
[With humble joy the word who hear]
These are they which are sown on good ground, &c.
—iv. 20.
With humble joy the word who hear
And faithfully retain,
And practise it with zeal sincere,
The full reward they gain;
In faith they more and more increase,
In hope and patient love,
Have here their fruit to holiness,
And endless life above.
475
846.
[Truth will not be suppress'd]
Is a candle . . . to be put under a bushel, or, &c.
—iv. 21.
Truth will not be suppress'd,
Our faith by works is shown,
Our Saviour openly confess'd
By all who Christ have known:
Christians as lamps appear,
Light to the world we give;
And if our words they will not hear,
They must behold us live.
847.
[Truth never shuns the light]
There is nothing hid, which shall not be, &c.
—iv. 22.
Truth never shuns the light,
The light it loves and spreads:
But well the conscious sons of night
May hide their wicked deeds—
Till that eternal day
Their works and hearts reveal,
And all the secret good display
Which humble saints conceal.
848.
[Lord, if Thou giv'st the hearing ear]
Take heed what ye hear.
—iv. 24.
Lord, if Thou giv'st the hearing ear,
The faith that works by love,
Thy word we cautiously shall hear,
And carefully improve;
Savour of life it then shall be,
Thoughts, words, and actions leaven,
And build us up complete in Thee,
And give us thrones in heaven.
849.
[The hope of Thy redeeming love]
He that hath, to him shall be given.
—iv. 25.
The hope of Thy redeeming love
Ah, give me, Saviour, to retain,
476
One talent, till the rest I gain:
On me, if still I clasp Thy feet,
Thou wilt bestow the gospel-peace,
And then the righteousness complete,
And then the crown of righteousness.
850.
[Ye bold to' explain, describe, define]
So is the kingdom of God, as if a man, &c.
—iv. 26, 27.
Ye bold to' explain, describe, define
The progress of the life Divine,
Your learned ignorance allow,
And own it grows ye know not how!
The progress of the life Divine,
Your learned ignorance allow,
And own it grows ye know not how!
No mortal eye the manner sees,
The imperceptible degrees,
By which our Lord conducts His plan,
And brings us to a perfect man.
The imperceptible degrees,
By which our Lord conducts His plan,
And brings us to a perfect man.
851.
[Thou dost not say, The seed springs up]
The earth bringeth forth . . . first the blade, &c.
—iv. 28.
Thou dost not say, The seed springs up
Into an instantaneous crop;
But waiting long for its return,
We see the blade, the ear, the corn:
The weak; and then the stronger grace,
And after that full holiness.
Into an instantaneous crop;
But waiting long for its return,
We see the blade, the ear, the corn:
The weak; and then the stronger grace,
And after that full holiness.
Thou then the fond delusion stop
Of nature's unsupported hope,
Which bids us snatch the' unlabour'd prize,
And into sudden pillars rise,
Step o'er the cross, and work between,
And sleeping dream—“we cannot sin”!
Of nature's unsupported hope,
Which bids us snatch the' unlabour'd prize,
And into sudden pillars rise,
Step o'er the cross, and work between,
And sleeping dream—“we cannot sin”!
477
Let us with lawful violence strive,
And toil to rest, and die to live,
Humbly in all Thy footsteps go,
From babes to youths, and fathers grow,
From faith, by just gradation move,
Through patient hope, to perfect love.
And toil to rest, and die to live,
Humbly in all Thy footsteps go,
From babes to youths, and fathers grow,
From faith, by just gradation move,
Through patient hope, to perfect love.
“So the soul, in an inexplicable manner, brings forth first weak graces, then stronger, then full holiness.” —The Rev. Mr. J. Wesley's Notes on the New Testament.
852.
[No turns of eloquence He seeks]
Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? &c.
—iv. 30.
No turns of eloquence He seeks,
Or flowing ornaments of phrase,
But truth in apt expressions speaks,
To' explain the mysteries of grace,
That simple humble men may know
That which the proud and learned miss,
The way to happiness below,
The way to everlasting bliss.
853.
[Saviour, instruct us to declare]
Spake He the word unto them, as they were able, &c.
—iv. 33.
Saviour, instruct us to declare
Thy word as every one can bear,
Milk, or strong meat to give,
As every soul hath gain'd from Thee
A large or small capacity
Thy doctrines to receive.
Thy word as every one can bear,
Milk, or strong meat to give,
As every soul hath gain'd from Thee
A large or small capacity
Thy doctrines to receive.
Who the first elements would know,
To these we cannot stoop too low,
Or speak in words too plain,
While step by step we bring them on,
Till all Thy saints through faith alone,
Come to a perfect man.
To these we cannot stoop too low,
Or speak in words too plain,
While step by step we bring them on,
Till all Thy saints through faith alone,
Come to a perfect man.
854.
[To men of their own knowledge proud]
But without a parable spake He not unto, &c.
—iv. 34.
To men of their own knowledge proud,
In every age the truths of God
As riddles dark appear:
The things in parables conceal'd
From them, are to the poor reveal'd
The simple and sincere.
In every age the truths of God
As riddles dark appear:
478
From them, are to the poor reveal'd
The simple and sincere.
The secrets of the Lord are known
To them who follow Christ alone,
And leave themselves behind;
To sinners who His cross embrace
He shows the mysteries of grace,
And tells them all His mind.
To them who follow Christ alone,
And leave themselves behind;
To sinners who His cross embrace
He shows the mysteries of grace,
And tells them all His mind.
855.
[Who sail with our Lord in the ship]
There arose a great storm of wind, &c.
—iv. 37, 38.
Who sail with our Lord in the ship,
Before we arrive at the skies,
Long toss'd on a perilous deep,
When storms of affliction arise,
We daily in jeopardy live
While sorrow and heaviness seize,
Of death the sad sentence receive
And shrink at a gaping abyss.
Before we arrive at the skies,
Long toss'd on a perilous deep,
When storms of affliction arise,
We daily in jeopardy live
While sorrow and heaviness seize,
Of death the sad sentence receive
And shrink at a gaping abyss.
The floods of ungodliness swell,
The passionate hurricanes roar,
The prince of the air and of hell
All threaten our souls to devour!
The waves they go over our head,
The waves they beat into the ship,
O'erwhelm us with horrible dread
And whirl us immersed in the deep!
The passionate hurricanes roar,
The prince of the air and of hell
All threaten our souls to devour!
The waves they go over our head,
The waves they beat into the ship,
O'erwhelm us with horrible dread
And whirl us immersed in the deep!
O where is our Friend in distress?
He sleeps, but His heart is awake:
Our danger and trouble He sees,
His church He will never forsake:
He sleeps, to redouble our prayers,
Our groans and importunate cries:
And still for His people He cares,
And soon we shall see Him arise.
He sleeps, but His heart is awake:
Our danger and trouble He sees,
His church He will never forsake:
479
Our groans and importunate cries:
And still for His people He cares,
And soon we shall see Him arise.
856.
[Master, can Thy follower be]
Master, carest Thou not that we perish?
—iv. 38.
Master, can Thy follower be
Excluded from Thy care,
Toss'd on life's tempestuous sea,
And sinking in despair?
Now command the storm to rest,
Hush the wind, the sea reprove,
Spread throughout this troubled breast
A calm of faith and love.
857.
[O Jesus awake and be near]
And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said, &c.
—iv. 39.
O Jesus awake and be near,
A sinner in mercy to save;
I perish unless Thou appear,
And rescue my soul from the wave:
Assail'd from without and within,
The storm I no longer can bear,
But sink in an ocean of sin,
But plunge in a gulf of despair.
A sinner in mercy to save;
I perish unless Thou appear,
And rescue my soul from the wave:
Assail'd from without and within,
The storm I no longer can bear,
But sink in an ocean of sin,
But plunge in a gulf of despair.
Arise in the power of Thy love
My turbulent passions to bind,
Temptation and sin to reprove,
And still the tempestuous wind;
The storm in a moment allay,
Pronounce the omnipotent word,
And ocean at once shall obey,
And nature acknowledge her Lord.
My turbulent passions to bind,
Temptation and sin to reprove,
And still the tempestuous wind;
The storm in a moment allay,
Pronounce the omnipotent word,
And ocean at once shall obey,
And nature acknowledge her Lord.
858.
[Peace of the tempestuous soul]
Peace of the tempestuous soul,
Rise and all our fears control,
Calmer of the troubled breast,
Bring Thy tempted people rest:
Rise and all our fears control,
480
Bring Thy tempted people rest:
In a world of evil toss'd,
Wilt Thou let Thy church be lost?
Can we perish in the deep,
Sink with Jesus in the ship?
Wilt Thou let Thy church be lost?
Can we perish in the deep,
Sink with Jesus in the ship?
Waking at our plaintive cry,
Show our sure salvation nigh,
By the brightness of Thy face
Sin, the world, and Satan chase.
Show our sure salvation nigh,
By the brightness of Thy face
Sin, the world, and Satan chase.
Nothing can withstand Thy will,
Speak and bid the storm be still,
Then the wind shall cease to roar,
Then the sea shall work no more.
Speak and bid the storm be still,
Then the wind shall cease to roar,
Then the sea shall work no more.
Lord, if Thou the tempest chide,
Sin shall suddenly subside,
Man to Thy command submit,
Satan fall beneath our feet.
Sin shall suddenly subside,
Man to Thy command submit,
Satan fall beneath our feet.
Then to perfect peace restored,
Calm'd by Thy almighty word
All our troubles we outfly,
Reach our haven in the sky.
Calm'd by Thy almighty word
All our troubles we outfly,
Reach our haven in the sky.
859.
[Ask we, now the storm is laid]
Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
—iv. 40.
Ask we, now the storm is laid,
Wherefore was my heart afraid?
Lord, with shame the cause I see,
Want of confidence in Thee.
Wherefore was my heart afraid?
Lord, with shame the cause I see,
Want of confidence in Thee.
But Thy love doth not despise
Nature's most imperfect cries,
Souls o'erwhelm'd with doubts and fears,
Faith which next to none appears.
Nature's most imperfect cries,
Souls o'erwhelm'd with doubts and fears,
Faith which next to none appears.
481
Thou my little faith increase
Till my last temptations cease,
Till Thy goodness I adore
Safe on the eternal shore.
Till my last temptations cease,
Till Thy goodness I adore
Safe on the eternal shore.
860.
[When the trying hour is pass'd]
They feared exceedingly, and said one to, &c.
—iv. 41.
When the trying hour is pass'd,
Saved by miracle at last,
Mindful of the death so near,
Should we not rejoice with fear?
Saved by miracle at last,
Mindful of the death so near,
Should we not rejoice with fear?
Should we not the dread retain,
Talking of the wondrous Man,
Mighty both in deed and word,
Sovereign universal Lord?
Talking of the wondrous Man,
Mighty both in deed and word,
Sovereign universal Lord?
Him whom wind and sea obeys,
Him omnipotent in grace,
Him to worship we agree
God from all eternity.
Him omnipotent in grace,
Him to worship we agree
God from all eternity.
| CHAPTER IV. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |