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 | CHAPTER XVI. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
92
CHAPTER XVI.
1123.
[Who from the world retreat]
Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus.
—xvi. 6.
Who from the world retreat
Their Saviour-God to meet,
Trials strange at first they prove,
Seized with horrible affright,
But their fear gives place to love,
Holy joy and pure delight.
Their Saviour-God to meet,
Trials strange at first they prove,
Seized with horrible affright,
But their fear gives place to love,
Holy joy and pure delight.
Buried where Jesus lies
Out of His grave we rise,
Know that there He lies no more,
Feel the grace on us bestow'd,
Conscious of His quickening power,
Fill'd with all the life of God.
Out of His grave we rise,
Know that there He lies no more,
Feel the grace on us bestow'd,
Conscious of His quickening power,
Fill'd with all the life of God.
1124.
[Penitents the Saviour cheers]
Tell His disciples and Peter, that He, &c.
—xvi. 7.
Penitents the Saviour cheers,
Who beneath their burden droop,
Wipes away the mourner's tears,
Lifts the poor backsliders up;
Grieved at having left our Lord
While we after Jesus pine,
He the comfortable word
Sends to Peter's heart, and mine.
Who beneath their burden droop,
Wipes away the mourner's tears,
Lifts the poor backsliders up;
Grieved at having left our Lord
While we after Jesus pine,
He the comfortable word
Sends to Peter's heart, and mine.
Me, the vile deserter me,
Christ whom I denied, forsook,
Kindly calls His face to see,
Bids me to my Saviour look,
Token of His rise he gives,
Takes my pardon'd sins away,
Till my heart again believes
Ever lives for me to pray.
Christ whom I denied, forsook,
Kindly calls His face to see,
Bids me to my Saviour look,
Token of His rise he gives,
Takes my pardon'd sins away,
Till my heart again believes
Ever lives for me to pray.
93
1125.
[Jesus risen from the dead]
He goeth before you into Galilee.
—xvi. 7.
Jesus risen from the dead
Doth to us appear again,
Goes before, our living Head,
Makes our way direct and plain;
Still conducts the souls He loves,
Captain on His church bestow'd,
Every obstacle removes,
Brings us to the mount of God.
Doth to us appear again,
Goes before, our living Head,
Makes our way direct and plain;
Still conducts the souls He loves,
Captain on His church bestow'd,
Every obstacle removes,
Brings us to the mount of God.
Marching through the vale below
On His promise we depend,
After Him in safety go,
Daily on His cross ascend
To that heavenly Galilee;
Trusting our celestial Guide
Him we shall in glory see,
Sit enraptured at His side.
On His promise we depend,
After Him in safety go,
Daily on His cross ascend
To that heavenly Galilee;
Trusting our celestial Guide
Him we shall in glory see,
Sit enraptured at His side.
1126.
[God lets His closest followers know]
They . . . fled . . . they trembled and were amazed.
—xvi. 8.
God lets His closest followers know
The' inconstancy of all below,
The saints whom most He loves,
The saints to whom He first appears,
By daily weaknesses and fears
He mercifully proves.
The' inconstancy of all below,
The saints whom most He loves,
The saints to whom He first appears,
By daily weaknesses and fears
He mercifully proves.
'Tis thus He teaches them to' aspire
On wings of faith and strong desire
To that abiding place
Where feeble faith no more is known,
Where evil, pain, and death are gone,
And joy eternal stays.
On wings of faith and strong desire
To that abiding place
Where feeble faith no more is known,
Where evil, pain, and death are gone,
And joy eternal stays.
1127.
[Who at His cross had stood]
He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, &c.
—xvi. 9.
Who at His cross had stood
And seen the dying God,
Happy Magdalene receives
The first visit from her Lord,
By His resurrection lives,
Finds in Him her full reward.
And seen the dying God,
94
The first visit from her Lord,
By His resurrection lives,
Finds in Him her full reward.
He thus delights to' approve
Her constancy of love,
Shows Himself alive to her
Once by seven devils possess'd,
Now His chosen messenger,
Now preferr'd to all the rest.
Her constancy of love,
Shows Himself alive to her
Once by seven devils possess'd,
Now His chosen messenger,
Now preferr'd to all the rest.
He still vouchsafes to bless
Who boldly Him confess,
Prize their Saviour's grief and shame,
Will not from His cross remove,
These He calls to bear His name,
Honours with His richest love.
Who boldly Him confess,
Prize their Saviour's grief and shame,
Will not from His cross remove,
These He calls to bear His name,
Honours with His richest love.
These are the souls He sends
To cheer His drooping friends,
These His choicest favourites are;
Crown'd for their fidelity
These at last His glory share,
These His face for ever see.
To cheer His drooping friends,
These His choicest favourites are;
Crown'd for their fidelity
These at last His glory share,
These His face for ever see.
Author of faith, appear
Again its Finisher,
Comforter of all that mourn,
All that love their Lord to see,
Into joy our sorrow turn,
Show Thyself alive to me.
Again its Finisher,
Comforter of all that mourn,
All that love their Lord to see,
Into joy our sorrow turn,
Show Thyself alive to me.
1128.
[Returning from the dead]
She went and told them that had been with, &c.
—xvi. 10.
Returning from the dead
Our heavenly Lord and Head
Charges with the joyful news
No unsullied innocent,
Will not an apostle choose,
Sends a pardon'd penitent.
Our heavenly Lord and Head
95
No unsullied innocent,
Will not an apostle choose,
Sends a pardon'd penitent.
The woman testifies,
Of Him that never dies,
First of Jesus' witnesses,
Magdalene the truth imparts,
Messenger of life and peace
To His sad disciples' hearts.
Of Him that never dies,
First of Jesus' witnesses,
Magdalene the truth imparts,
Messenger of life and peace
To His sad disciples' hearts.
He thus His word fulfils,
His promised grace reveals,
Lifts His weeping followers up
Still appearing from above,
Now revives our dying hope,
Now rewards our patient love.
His promised grace reveals,
Lifts His weeping followers up
Still appearing from above,
Now revives our dying hope,
Now rewards our patient love.
1129.
[How fervent is our Shepherd's love]
He appeared in another form unto two, &c.
—xvi. 12.
How fervent is our Shepherd's love,
Who follows all the sheep that rove,
Who every wanderer
Pursues with persevering grace
As every child of Adam's race
Engross'd His tender care.
Who follows all the sheep that rove,
Who every wanderer
Pursues with persevering grace
As every child of Adam's race
Engross'd His tender care.
Their Shepherd rising from the dead
To each extends His friendly aid,
To each Himself applies,
Dispersed and stumbled by His death
Brings back into His fold beneath,
And leads them to the skies.
To each extends His friendly aid,
To each Himself applies,
Dispersed and stumbled by His death
Brings back into His fold beneath,
And leads them to the skies.
'Tis thus He for His followers cares,
When persecution parts and tears
The flock, and scatters wide,
When daily they His lot partake
To death deliver'd for His sake,
With Jesus crucified.
When persecution parts and tears
The flock, and scatters wide,
96
To death deliver'd for His sake,
With Jesus crucified.
Beyond the rage of fiends and men
He gathers and unites again
The people of His love:
And O, that I might gather'd be,
To share through all eternity
Thy glorious life above!
He gathers and unites again
The people of His love:
And O, that I might gather'd be,
To share through all eternity
Thy glorious life above!
1130.
[So slow and backward to believe]
Neither believed they them, &c.
—xvi. 13.
So slow and backward to believe
The rise of Jesus crucified,
They stronger testimony give
To what they had themselves denied;
And while His witnesses maintain
The truth they first had disallow'd,
The incredulity of man
Confirms the faithfulness of God.
1131.
[Appear, to us appear]
He appeared . . . and upbraided them, &c.
—xvi. 14.
Appear, to us appear,
And kindly now reprove
Our harden'd heart, our faithless fear
Which doubts Thy pardoning love;
Which disbelieves the men,
And contradicts their word,
Who witness, they themselves have seen,
Who preach their living Lord
And kindly now reprove
Our harden'd heart, our faithless fear
Which doubts Thy pardoning love;
Which disbelieves the men,
And contradicts their word,
Who witness, they themselves have seen,
Who preach their living Lord
If Thou vouchsafe to show
Thy presence to our heart,
The mountains of our sins shall flow,
And unbelief depart,
While one with Thee our Head,
And to Thy members join'd,
We witness Thou art risen indeed,
To quicken all mankind.
Thy presence to our heart,
The mountains of our sins shall flow,
And unbelief depart,
97
And to Thy members join'd,
We witness Thou art risen indeed,
To quicken all mankind.
1132.
[Gospel to every soul of man!]
Preach the gospel to every creature.
—xvi. 15.
Gospel to every soul of man!
The one eternal God
For the whole world of sinners slain
Hath bought them with His blood!
Let every child of Adam's line
The joyful news embrace,
Acquitted by an act Divine
Of universal grace!
1133.
[By faith my pardon I receive]
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.
—xvi. 16.
By faith my pardon I receive,
Regenerate from above,
And still believing on, I live
The life of holy love;
And humbly faithful unto death
I shall through grace obtain
At Jesus' hands the' immortal wreath,
And in His glory reign.
Regenerate from above,
And still believing on, I live
The life of holy love;
And humbly faithful unto death
I shall through grace obtain
At Jesus' hands the' immortal wreath,
And in His glory reign.
We bow submissive to the will
Of an ordaining God,
Stamp'd with His sacramental seal
In the baptismal flood;
His Spirit there the blood applies,
Which makes our conscience pure,
And in the water testifies
Our present pardon sure.
Of an ordaining God,
Stamp'd with His sacramental seal
In the baptismal flood;
His Spirit there the blood applies,
Which makes our conscience pure,
And in the water testifies
Our present pardon sure.
98
1134.
[The infidel his doom shall bear]
He that believeth not shall be damned.
—xvi. 16.
The infidel his doom shall bear,
In endless torment cry,
But never doth our Lord declare
“The unbaptized shall die:”
In education's fetters bound
Who miss the outward way,
Yet love their God, shall all be found
His people in that day.
In endless torment cry,
But never doth our Lord declare
“The unbaptized shall die:”
In education's fetters bound
Who miss the outward way,
Yet love their God, shall all be found
His people in that day.
He winks at ignorance sincere
In them that knew His grace;
But no unholy souls appear
Before His glorious face:
Baptized, or unbaptized, they all
Shall die the second death,
And banish'd from His presence fall
Into their place beneath.
In them that knew His grace;
But no unholy souls appear
Before His glorious face:
Baptized, or unbaptized, they all
Shall die the second death,
And banish'd from His presence fall
Into their place beneath.
1135.
[Jesus! formidable name]
In My name shall they cast out devils.
—xvi. 17.
Jesus! formidable name,
Puts all the fiends to flight,
Arm'd with this, His word we claim,
And conquer in His might,
Troops of hellish spirits chase,
Or tread them bruised beneath our feet,
Till our Lord reveals His face
And seals the burning pit.
1136.
[While in faithful hearts we bear]
They shall speak with new tongues.
—xvi. 17.
While in faithful hearts we bear
Thy name invincible,
We its energy declare,
And all its wonders tell,
99
The language of celestial love,
Speak with tongues which shall endure
And sing Thy praise above.
1137.
[Reverencing Thy name and word]
They shall take up serpents; &c.
—xvi. 18.
Reverencing Thy name and word,
We nothing fear beside;
Evil cannot touch our Lord,
Or who in Thee abide;
We unhurt with serpents play,
Error's baneful draught receive,
Cast the deadly thing away,
And marvellously live.
1138.
[For the sick of sin we plead]
They shall lay hands on the sick, &c.
—xvi. 18.
For the sick of sin we plead,
And wrestle in Thy name,
Through Thy Spirit intercede,
And life and pardon claim:
What we ask in faith, we have,
Thou dost the prostrate souls restore;
Witnessing Thy power to save
They rise, and sin no more.
1139.
[His course, but not His office ends]
He was received up into heaven, and sat, &c.
—xvi. 19.
His course, but not His office ends,
When Jesus in the clouds ascends,
And enters that most holy place,
(The holiest place not made with hands,)
Our great High-priest with God, He stands,
He stands before His Father's face.
When Jesus in the clouds ascends,
And enters that most holy place,
(The holiest place not made with hands,)
Our great High-priest with God, He stands,
He stands before His Father's face.
100
Jehovah's co-eternal Son
Returns triumphant to His throne,
And whom the heaven of heavens receives,
Seated at God's right hand again
The cause of sinners to maintain
Our Advocate for ever lives.
Returns triumphant to His throne,
And whom the heaven of heavens receives,
Seated at God's right hand again
The cause of sinners to maintain
Our Advocate for ever lives.
1140.
[The faithful acceptable word]
They went forth, and preached every where, &c.
—xvi. 20.
The faithful acceptable word
That ransom'd sinners may embrace,
Their merciful almighty Lord
With all His gospel labourers stays;
Their mission first by signs He seal'd:
His providence doth still attend,
And still His secret grace reveal'd
Works in their hearts till time shall end.
That ransom'd sinners may embrace,
Their merciful almighty Lord
With all His gospel labourers stays;
Their mission first by signs He seal'd:
His providence doth still attend,
And still His secret grace reveal'd
Works in their hearts till time shall end.
Saviour, we on the word rely;
The word of truth and present power
Doth wound, and heal, and sanctify,
To peace, and perfect love restore.
With pardon and salvation bless'd,
Wonders we to the world proclaim;
Wonders of grace, they are not ceased
But daily wrought in Jesus' name.
The word of truth and present power
Doth wound, and heal, and sanctify,
To peace, and perfect love restore.
With pardon and salvation bless'd,
Wonders we to the world proclaim;
Wonders of grace, they are not ceased
But daily wrought in Jesus' name.
| CHAPTER XVI. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |