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| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
 | XI. |
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| XII. |
| XIII. |
 | CHAPTER V. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
CHAPTER V.
1233.
[That apostolic ship]
He entered into one of the ships, &c.
—v. 3.
That apostolic ship,
That church where Christ abides,
Loosed from the earth, while in the deep,
Above the deep it rides.
Of unity the school,
Of truth the sacred chair!
Jesus delights to sit and rule,
And teach His people there.
1234.
[When our incarnate God]
Now when He had left speaking, He said, &c.
—v. 4.
When our incarnate God
No longer spake to men,
His church expanded all abroad
Through the wide world was seen;
Their net the' apostles spread,
Where'er their Lord they brought
And strangely took with rapid speed
Whole nations at a draught.
142
1235.
[Their successors in vain]
We have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing.
—v. 5.
Their successors in vain
We labour'd all the night,
Nor could a single sinner gain,
Or cast our net aright:
The mist was not dispell'd,
The thick infernal gloom
While blind we all the errors held
Of dark apostate Rome.
We labour'd all the night,
Nor could a single sinner gain,
Or cast our net aright:
The mist was not dispell'd,
The thick infernal gloom
While blind we all the errors held
Of dark apostate Rome.
But our redeeming Lord
Hath chased the clouds away,
And manifested by His word
The full immortal day:
By His own Spirit's light
We now the net let down,
And toil successful in the sight
Of yon eternal Sun.
Hath chased the clouds away,
And manifested by His word
The full immortal day:
By His own Spirit's light
We now the net let down,
And toil successful in the sight
Of yon eternal Sun.
1236.
[If Thou the fishers guide]
When they had this done, they inclosed a great, &c.
—v. 6.
If Thou the fishers guide,
Immortal souls we win,
Casting the net on the right side
We gather thousands in.
1237.
[I who so oft have seen]
When . . . Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees.
—v. 8.
I who so oft have seen
The tokens of Thy power,
Vilest and sinfulest of men,
O how shall I adore!
Struck by Thy piercing eyes,
Unclean in lips and heart,
I fall; and all my nature cries
“From me, O Lord depart!”
The tokens of Thy power,
Vilest and sinfulest of men,
O how shall I adore!
Struck by Thy piercing eyes,
Unclean in lips and heart,
I fall; and all my nature cries
“From me, O Lord depart!”
143
Before Thy holiness
Shall I presume to' appear,
When purest angels hide their face,
And tremble to draw near?
What fellowship with light
Can darkness e'er maintain,
Or how shall sinners in Thy sight,
Or at Thy feet remain?
Shall I presume to' appear,
When purest angels hide their face,
And tremble to draw near?
What fellowship with light
Can darkness e'er maintain,
Or how shall sinners in Thy sight,
Or at Thy feet remain?
When Thou appear'st below
Thou show'st me what I am,
My darkness by Thy light I know,
And suffer all my shame;
Abash'd I see and feel
The vast disparity,
The distance inconceivable
Betwixt my God and me!
Thou show'st me what I am,
My darkness by Thy light I know,
And suffer all my shame;
Abash'd I see and feel
The vast disparity,
The distance inconceivable
Betwixt my God and me!
Yet Thou my Saviour art,
Whose love transcends the sky,
And canst not find it in Thy heart
To leave and let me die;
Whilst after Thee I mourn,
Thou wilt not let me faint,
But stay a sinful man to turn
Into a sinless saint.
Whose love transcends the sky,
And canst not find it in Thy heart
To leave and let me die;
Whilst after Thee I mourn,
Thou wilt not let me faint,
But stay a sinful man to turn
Into a sinless saint.
1238.
[A prosperous minister]
He was astonished . . . at the draught, &c.
—v. 9.
A prosperous minister
Doth with amazement see,
And Christ the only cause declare
Of his prosperity:
Yes, Lord, I gladly own
The miracle of grace,
144
To Thee be all the praise.
1239.
[Fisher of men ordain'd]
Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt, &c.
—v. 10.
Fisher of men ordain'd,
I with my partners go,
The gospel net at Christ's command
Into the world I throw;
And He forbids my fear
Whom earth and heaven adore,
And He attends His minister
Till time shall be no more.
1240.
[A leprous soul that feels]
A man full of leprosy . . . seeing Jesus.
—v. 12.
A leprous soul that feels
The loathsomeness of sin,
To Christ his case reveals,
And longs to be made clean,
His humble faith to Christ applies,
And little speaks, but much it sighs.
The loathsomeness of sin,
To Christ his case reveals,
And longs to be made clean,
His humble faith to Christ applies,
And little speaks, but much it sighs.
O'erwhelm'd beneath the load
Of his impurity,
A long-offended God
Ashamed he is to see,
Low in the dust he hides his face,
And conscious of his vileness, prays.
Of his impurity,
A long-offended God
Ashamed he is to see,
Low in the dust he hides his face,
And conscious of his vileness, prays.
My universal sin,
Lord, I to Thee confess,
Corrupt without, within,
Full of a sore disease,
Of bruises, wounds, and putrid sores,
My spirit at Thy feet adores.
Lord, I to Thee confess,
Corrupt without, within,
Full of a sore disease,
Of bruises, wounds, and putrid sores,
My spirit at Thy feet adores.
Of grace I never will,
But of myself despair;
Able Thou art to heal,
Thou hear'st a sinner's prayer;
My faith is strong, my hope is sure
A touch of Thine can make me pure.
But of myself despair;
145
Thou hear'st a sinner's prayer;
My faith is strong, my hope is sure
A touch of Thine can make me pure.
1241.
[Thy Spirit's hand apply]
He put forth His hand, and touched him.
—v. 13.
Thy Spirit's hand apply
My pardon'd sin to seal,
My soul to purify,
Assure me now “I will,”
And all my guilt shall now depart,
And sin shall leave me pure in heart.
1242.
[Our Saviour and God]
Went there a fame abroad of Him, &c.
—v. 15.
Our Saviour and God
Thou art publish'd abroad,
We have heard of Thy fame,
And allured by the sound of Thy wonderful name
With the crowd we draw near,
Thy wisdom to hear,
And in pardon reveal'd
To perceive all our sins and infirmities heal'd.
Thou art publish'd abroad,
We have heard of Thy fame,
And allured by the sound of Thy wonderful name
With the crowd we draw near,
Thy wisdom to hear,
And in pardon reveal'd
To perceive all our sins and infirmities heal'd.
The gospel of grace
Thy Spirit conveys,
To the rapturous sound
We attend, and it heals our incurable wound;
The languishing soul
By a word is made whole,
And inspired from above
Through the hearing of faith we recover Thy love.
Thy Spirit conveys,
To the rapturous sound
We attend, and it heals our incurable wound;
The languishing soul
By a word is made whole,
And inspired from above
Through the hearing of faith we recover Thy love.
1243.
[A happy instrument of grace]
He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, &c.
—v. 16.
A happy instrument of grace
Withdraws into the wilderness,
With still-continued care;
The good of precious souls he seeks,
In their behalf to God he speaks,
And pleads for them in prayer.
Withdraws into the wilderness,
With still-continued care;
146
In their behalf to God he speaks,
And pleads for them in prayer.
He muses frequently retired,
That more abundantly inspired
He may his mission prove,
The people serve with holier zeal,
And all his ministry fulfil
In praise of Jesus' love.
That more abundantly inspired
He may his mission prove,
The people serve with holier zeal,
And all his ministry fulfil
In praise of Jesus' love.
1244.
[I rise obedient to Thy word]
Immediately he rose up before them.
—v. 25.
I rise obedient to Thy word,
Take up the bed on which I lay,
The tokens of my sin abhorr'd,
The relics I remove away,
Retreat, the worldly throng exclude,
And seek my God in solitude.
Take up the bed on which I lay,
The tokens of my sin abhorr'd,
The relics I remove away,
Retreat, the worldly throng exclude,
And seek my God in solitude.
Saviour for this alone I live,
To magnify Thy healing love,
And while to Thee I glory give,
I hasten to my house above,
A house not made with human hands,
Which in the heavenly country stands.
To magnify Thy healing love,
And while to Thee I glory give,
I hasten to my house above,
A house not made with human hands,
Which in the heavenly country stands.
1245.
[Let all the God of mercy praise]
They were all amazed, and they glorified God.
—v. 26.
Let all the God of mercy praise,
Whose mercy doth to all extend;
His work reviving in our days,
His grace to sinners we commend,
While in ourselves and them we prove
The wonders wrought by Jesus' love.
Whose mercy doth to all extend;
His work reviving in our days,
His grace to sinners we commend,
While in ourselves and them we prove
The wonders wrought by Jesus' love.
Daily we see the arm reveal'd,
The love of our almighty Lord,
And crowds of palsied souls are heal'd,
Heal'd by a kind forgiving word,
They rise, they walk in truth and grace,
They follow after holiness.
The love of our almighty Lord,
147
Heal'd by a kind forgiving word,
They rise, they walk in truth and grace,
They follow after holiness.
Thee, Jesus, Thee we glorify,
With wonder at Thy feet adore;
With fear extol the Lord most high,
Wisdom, and Truth, and Love, and Power,
By every ransom'd soul confess'd
God over all for ever bless'd.
With wonder at Thy feet adore;
With fear extol the Lord most high,
Wisdom, and Truth, and Love, and Power,
By every ransom'd soul confess'd
God over all for ever bless'd.
1246.
[Hadst Thou not cast a gracious look]
He left all, rose up, and followed Him.
—v. 28.
Hadst Thou not cast a gracious look
On human misery,
The world I never had forsook,
Or rose to follow Thee;
But now convicted by Thine eye,
Mine evil I eschew,
My sin and its occasions fly,
And all Thy steps pursue.
On human misery,
The world I never had forsook,
Or rose to follow Thee;
But now convicted by Thine eye,
Mine evil I eschew,
My sin and its occasions fly,
And all Thy steps pursue.
My business, Lord, my only care
Poor souls for Thee to win;
For Thee the banquet I prepare,
And call my brethren in;
My guilty comrades I invite,
With Thee to feast and live,
And well I know, Thy whole delight
Is, sinners to receive.
Poor souls for Thee to win;
For Thee the banquet I prepare,
And call my brethren in;
My guilty comrades I invite,
With Thee to feast and live,
And well I know, Thy whole delight
Is, sinners to receive.
1247.
[He eats with men of every sort]
Levi made Him a great feast in his own house.
—v. 29.
He eats with men of every sort,
Matthew's and Simon's guest,
But never banquets at a court,
Or with a wicked priest.
148
1248.
[Conscious of this plague within]
They that are whole need not a physician.
—v. 31.
Conscious of this plague within
I a Physician want;
My whole head is sick of sin,
And my whole heart is faint;
Only wickedness I feel,
No goodness doth in me reside,
All my nature is self-will,
And all my soul is pride.
I a Physician want;
My whole head is sick of sin,
And my whole heart is faint;
Only wickedness I feel,
No goodness doth in me reside,
All my nature is self-will,
And all my soul is pride.
While myself I faint to bear,
And life for lost give up,
Strangely rising from despair
I find a sudden hope;
Hope I of salvation have,
That if myself I cannot heal,
If myself I cannot save,
The great Physician will.
And life for lost give up,
Strangely rising from despair
I find a sudden hope;
Hope I of salvation have,
That if myself I cannot heal,
If myself I cannot save,
The great Physician will.
Humbly now, O Lord, I own
My sin and misery,
Make my sad condition known,
Expose my case to Thee;
Glory in my desperate case,
Without Thy help I cannot live;
Therefore help me by Thy grace,
And perfect soundness give.
My sin and misery,
Make my sad condition known,
Expose my case to Thee;
Glory in my desperate case,
Without Thy help I cannot live;
Therefore help me by Thy grace,
And perfect soundness give.
1249.
[Me! did Jesus come for me?]
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, &c.
—v. 32.
Me! did Jesus come for me?
The God who reigns above,
Could He stoop to misery,
A Man of grief and love!
If Thou didst forsake the sky,
Sinners to save from endless woe,
Here, the sinners' chief am I,
Thy chief concern below.
The God who reigns above,
Could He stoop to misery,
A Man of grief and love!
149
Sinners to save from endless woe,
Here, the sinners' chief am I,
Thy chief concern below.
Call (and give me ears to hear)
My soul out of its fall,
Call to godly grief and fear,
To true repentance call,
Call me Thine embrace to meet,
To know and feel my sins forgiven,
Call me then to love complete,
And call me up to heaven.
My soul out of its fall,
Call to godly grief and fear,
To true repentance call,
Call me Thine embrace to meet,
To know and feel my sins forgiven,
Call me then to love complete,
And call me up to heaven.
1250.
[We long to worldly pleasures cleave]
No man also having drunk old wine, &c.
—v. 39.
We long to worldly pleasures cleave,
Nor will our evil habits leave,
Most gracious Lord for Thee,
Preferring the delights of sin,
The' intoxicating joys unclean,
To joys of purity.
Nor will our evil habits leave,
Most gracious Lord for Thee,
Preferring the delights of sin,
The' intoxicating joys unclean,
To joys of purity.
But when Thou dost our souls convert,
Tasting how excellent Thou art
How full of pardoning grace,
We let the world and creature go,
The sweetness of religion know,
And all its pleasant ways.
Tasting how excellent Thou art
How full of pardoning grace,
We let the world and creature go,
The sweetness of religion know,
And all its pleasant ways.
We every earthly love forsake,
When of Thy Spirit we partake,
And drink Thy purity;
We own reclining on Thy breast,
The old, celestial wine is best,
The love that flows from Thee.
When of Thy Spirit we partake,
And drink Thy purity;
We own reclining on Thy breast,
The old, celestial wine is best,
The love that flows from Thee.
| CHAPTER V. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |