The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

My heavenly Lord, I would from Thee
The double grace receive,
With true Divine simplicity
The gospel preach, and live;
Inform the souls whose good I seek,
And do the Christian part;
Words to the understanding speak,
But actions to the heart.

1271.

[The man who Christ hath truly known]

A certain centurion's servant, who was, &c. —vii. 2.

The man who Christ hath truly known,
His faith by works of mercy proves,
Respects his servant as a son,
In him his heavenly Master loves;
Conscious that God will equal make,
Or crown the slave with brighter stars,
He humbly now for Jesus' sake
His servant to himself prefers.

1272.

[A token he for good receives]

When he heard of Jesus, he sent unto Him, &c. —vii. 3.

A token he for good receives
Who nothing hopes for his own sake,
Yet humbly confident believes
Christ will on him compassion take:
Who asks the faithful people's prayers,
By living saints to Christ applies,
Would pray himself, but scarcely dares
Approach, or lift to heaven his eyes.

1273.

[Man magnifies the deeds of men]

They besought Him instantly, saying, &c. —vii. 4.

Man magnifies the deeds of men,
With God the creature's merit pleads,

162

But all our thoughts by Christ are seen,
Our actions' spring and end He reads;
Strangers to evangelic grace,
The pompous works by sinners done
As works of charity they praise;
But Christ commends our faith alone.

1274.

[Because unworthy of Thy grace]

Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy, &c. —vii. 7.

Because unworthy of Thy grace,
In me Thy powerful grace reveal;
This plague of heart which I confess
A motion of Thy will can heal;
The Lord of all in earth and skies
Can by a word my soul restore;
O speak it now, and now I rise,
And follow Thee and sin no more.

1275.

[Jesus vouchsafes to recompense]

They . . . found the servant whole that had, &c. —vii. 10.

Jesus vouchsafes to recompense
The faith He doth Himself impart,
Inspires the hope, and then the sense
Of pardon in a contrite heart;
Faith to be heal'd Thou know'st I have,
I wait Thy pardoning love to feel:
Come, Lord, and to the utmost save,
And perfectly Thy servant heal.

1276.

[We here the sinner's history read]

Behold, there was a dead man carried out. —vii. 12.

We here the sinner's history read,
Who dead in sin, and doubly dead
Is carrying to the tomb;
Happy, before he reach the pit,
If Jesus the procession meet,
And to his rescue come.

Follow'd, and by the church deplored,
(That widow of her heavenly Lord,)
Insensible he lies;

163

The mother sad with pious tears
Bewails her son, till Christ appears,
And bids the dead arise.

1277.

[Her loss she never can forget]

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion. —vii. 13.

Her loss she never can forget,
Till Life and death together meet,
The sinner and his God:
He comes, and lifts His mourner up,
He fills her heart with cheerful hope,
And sheds His love abroad.

Pitying He hears the widow's prayers,
For souls that claim her tenderest cares,
Bereft of life and power;
And soon returning from the skies,
Jesus will banish all her sighs,
And bid her weep no more.

1278.

[Touch'd by Thine efficacious grace]

And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. —vii. 15.

Touch'd by Thine efficacious grace,
Raised from his sins to speak Thy praise,
And testify Thy power,
Thou bidd'st him in Thy Spirit live,
Dost to his joyful mother give,
Dost to Thy church restore.

Happy the soul who lives again
Redeem'd from sin and death and pain
That glorious church to see,
(That mother of us all above,)
Communion with the saints to prove
Through all eternity.

1279.

[A guide of souls will not retain]

John calling unto him two of his disciples. —vii. 19.

A guide of souls will not retain,
Or suffer them on him to' attend,

164

But sends them to increase the train
Of Him that did from heaven descend;
His Saviour's humble harbinger,
No party will he call his own,
His only care that souls should hear,
Believe, and hang on Christ alone.

1280.

[One only thing we ask to know]

Art Thou He that should come? &c. —vii. 20.

One only thing we ask to know,
But one which everything contains,
Art Thou the Man that dwelt below,
That died to purge our sinful stains?
Assure my heart, if Thou art He,
My King, my Prophet and my Priest,
My God who gave Himself for me—
I'll trust Thy love for all the rest.

1281.

[Simple men who nothing know]

All the people that heard Him, &c. —vii. 29.

Simple men who nothing know,
Poor, but penitents sincere,
Simply their obedience show,
When the sinners' Friend they hear,
Enter into His design,
Gladly saved by grace Divine.

1282.

[But the men of learning proud]

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected, &c. —vii. 30.

But the men of learning proud,
Proud of their own righteousness,
Scorn to follow with the crowd,
Scorn their evil to confess,
Levell'd in the dust to lie,
There for mercy, mercy cry.

Never by the precept slain,
How can they the promise plead?
They the gospel plan disdain,
No Divine Physician need,

165

Will not condescend to take
Life and heaven for Jesu's sake.

1283.

[The holy God Himself they blame]

Ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, &c. —vii. 34.

The holy God Himself they blame,
The' essential Righteousness,
And shall we fondly hope or aim
A froward world to please?
No, Lord, we only wish to live
Thy life of purity,
And then Thy treatment to receive,
And suffer it like Thee.

1284.

[Secretly allured by grace]

A woman . . . which was a sinner, &c. —vii. 37.

Secretly allured by grace,
Lo to Christ the sinner flies,
Dares not look upon His face,
Dares not meet His purer eyes;
Having found the God she seeks,
Fill'd with shame, she scarce appears,
Only by her heart she speaks,
Pours it out in silent tears.

1285.

[While He sits at meat, reclined]

And stood at His feet behind Him. —vii. 38.

While He sits at meat, reclined,
Looking for that inward meat,
Penitent, she stands behind,
Falls, to wash and kiss His feet;
Waters them with copious showers
From the fountains of her eyes,
Richer than the oil she pours,
More accepted sacrifice.

Thus may I with faith sincere
Holy, self-abhorring shame,
Trembling to my Lord draw near,
Bring Him all I have, and am;

166

All my sinfulness confess,
Never from His feet remove,
Quite o'erwhelm'd with pardoning grace,
Swallow'd up in grief and love.

1286.

[O how gentle is my Lord]

Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. —vii. 40.

O how gentle is my Lord
Toward a Pharisee austere,
O how bounteous to reward
For his hospitable cheer!
Kind instruction He bestows
On a sinner unforgiven;
Bid by Pharisees, He shows
Pharisees the way to heaven.

1287.

[I the greatest debtor am]

There was a certain creditor which had two, &c. —vii. 41.

I the greatest debtor am,
Infinite the debt I owed,
Till a bankrupt poor I came
To the sin-remitting God;
Trembling at His feet I lay,
Scarcely dared for mercy call:
Then, when I could nothing pay
Frankly He forgave me all.

1288.

[Still He doth to sinners turn]

He turned to the woman, and said, &c. —vii. 44.

Still He doth to sinners turn,
Doth with mild complacence view,
Objects of your virtuous scorn
Sinners He prefers to you;
You who with self-righteous pride
Sinners haughtily entreat,
Judge whom God hath justified,
Spurn them at their Saviour's feet.

167

At His feet that harlot see,
Weeping and adoring there,
Feet transfix'd on Calvary,
Still she wipes them with her hair,
Kisses them a thousand times,
Weeps, and washing them again,
Loathes herself for pardon'd crimes,
Crimes that caused His mortal pain.

1289.

[Much she loved her loving God]

Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which, &c. —vii. 47.

Much she loved her loving God,
Much forgiven by His grace,
Hence her large affections flow'd,
More increased by Jesu's praise:
Thus, when He hath purged our stain,
Glad we feel the guilt removed,
Dearly love our Lord again,
Us because He first hath loved.

Did our love the pardon buy?
Ours is but the' effect of His;
God doth freely justify,
Gives the reconciling kiss;
Then we fall and kiss His feet,
Much we love when much forgiven,
Hear Him every day repeat
“Saved by faith go on to heaven!”

1290.

[While our grief for sin we show]

He said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. —vii. 48.

While our grief for sin we show,
Our respect for Christ express,
More confirm'd His love we know,
Deeper wrought His work of grace;
Jesus by His Spirit's power
Fuller confidence imparts,

168

Gives us what He gave before,
Seals the pardon on our hearts.

1291.

[Who is this that sin forgives?]

Who is this that forgiveth sins? —vii. 49.

Who is this that sin forgives?
A mere mortal sinful man,
Who his power from Rome receives,
Forms, and absolutions vain?
No; the power is God's alone;
God it is that justifies,
He who did for sin atone,
He the precious grace applies.

Who is this that sin forgives,
Now as yesterday the same?
Ask the sinner that believes,
Well he knows his Saviour's name;
Jesus bought the grace with blood,
Our infallible High-Priest,
Jesus is our pardoning God,
God supreme for ever bless'd.

1292.

[Saving faith is not alone]

And He said to the woman, Thy faith hath, &c. —vii. 50.

Saving faith is not alone;
All who savingly believe
Make their true affection known,
To their dear Redeemer cleave
Humbly at His feet they mourn,
All His benefits restore,
Never to the world return,
Walk in Christ, and sin no more.

Saved by faith from sin and fear,
Bright they in His image rise,
Meet before His face to' appear,
Sinners still in their own eyes;

169

Lord on me the grace bestow,
Pardon on my heart impress;
Saved by faith I then shall go,
Go to God in perfect peace.

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER VII.

1270.

[A pastor fraught with Jesu's grace]