The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

A hidden kingdom in the skies
To sinners we declare;
In vain; unless we first arise,
And find our treasure there,
Indifferent to the things below
Unless the proof we give,
By all our life and converse show
That now in heaven we live.

179

1318.

[What profits it the great and wise]

Now Herod . . . heard of all that was done. —ix. 7.

What profits it the great and wise,
All that was done by Christ to know,
Unless they take His love's advice,
Their sins renounce, themselves forego,
Unless His Spirit He imparts,
And works His wonders in their hearts?

1319.

[What could the curious passion do?]

He desired to see Him. —ix. 9.

What could the curious passion do?
He would not to his Saviour turn;
His Saviour's messenger he slew;
He saw, and laugh'd the Lord to scorn;
And thus a dire example set,
Still follow'd by the lawless great.

1320.

[Come all to Christ, who all receives]

The people . . . followed Him: and He received them. —ix. 11.

Come all to Christ, who all receives,
Instruction to the' unlearnèd gives,
Supplies our every need,
Makes the distemper'd sinner whole,
And satisfies the hungry soul
With true immortal bread.

Happy the steward of His grace,
Preacher of joy and righteousness,
The kingdom from above;
Who through the power of Jesus' word,
Sees sin-sick souls to health restored
And perfected in love.

Happy who finds his whole employ,
To serve their faith, and find their joy,
Till entering into rest

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Up from this wilderness they rise,
Regain their country in the skies,
And God's eternal feast.

1321.

[Pastors the sheep should feed]

He said unto them, Give ye them to eat, &c. —ix. 13.

Pastors the sheep should feed,
When Jesus gives the word,
Whose grace provides with all they need
The followers of their Lord:
God will Himself supply
The impotence of man,
And do, poor souls to satisfy,
Whate'er the' Almighty can.

Jesus doth not enjoin
Impossibilities,
But shows our need of grace Divine
The Lord our God to please;
The things within our power
Commands us to fulfil,
Employ His grace, and ask for more
To do His perfect will.

For what Thou didst bestow
Thy love we glorify,
But own we can no farther go
Without a fresh supply:
We every word receive
Our Lord vouchsafes to say;
Command whate'er Thou wilt, but give
Thy servants power to' obey.

1322.

[Dispenser of the joyful word]

There was taken up of fragments . . . twelve, &c. —ix. 17.

Dispenser of the joyful word
Who at the banquet of his Lord
The people and himself hath fed,

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Will gather up with pious care,
And in his faithful memory bear,
The fragments of that heavenly bread;
Will fear a single word to lose,
On every sacred saying muse,
And meditate and pray them o'er;
Each precious truth resolve, digest,
And lengthen out the gospel feast,
Replete, yet hungering still for more.

1323.

[Thou art the Christ of God]

Peter answering said, The Christ of God. —ix. 20.

Thou art the Christ of God
On all mankind bestow'd,
Thee the co-eternal Son
By the' anointing Spirit seal'd,
Prophet, Priest, and King we own,
Man with all the Godhead fill'd.

The Spirit of our Head
Is on the members shed:
Ever streaming from above
He to us Thy name imparts,
Brings the unction from above,
Forms and dwells in Christian hearts.

Thy mystic body we
Our all receive from Thee,
Life and truth, and grace for grace;
Thine anointed ones we rise,
Temples of Thy holiness,
Fill'd with Him who fills the skies.

1324.

[Jesus spake the word to all]

If any man will come after Me, let him deny, &c. —ix. 23.

Jesus spake the word to all,
All in every time and place;
Rich and poor, and great and small,
Every child of Adam's race,

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Would ye His disciples be?
Follow Christ to Calvary.

Not a single soul excused,
Not a day exempted is:
Heaven is with the cross refused,
Glorious everlasting bliss:
Who the Saviour's burden shun
Down to endless ruin run.

You who revel every day,
Every day in pleasures live,
Will not Jesus' word obey,
Will not Jesus' yoke receive,
With your own desires comply
Dead in sin for ever die.

1325.

[Preserver of mankind]

Whosoever will lose his life for My sake, &c. —ix. 24.

Preserver of mankind,
The mystery explain,
Instruct my heart the way to find,
The truth of life to gain;
And when I rightly know
The sweetness of Thy love,
I come, by losing it below
To save my life above.

1326.

[Who blush their Lord to own]

Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of, &c. —ix. 26.

Who blush their Lord to own,
His truth and people here,
When Jesus sits upon the throne,
O where shall they appear!

183

They gain their just desert,
Soon as the Judge is come,
And from His frowning face depart
To hell's eternal gloom.

1327.

[Thy kingdom, Lord, I fain would see]

He took Peter and John and James, and went, &c. —ix. 28.

Thy kingdom, Lord, I fain would see:
O carry up my soul with Thee,
Above my body raise,
From earth's tumultuous scenes remove,
Bear to the holy mount above,
And then unveil Thy face.

Thou only by Thy prayer and blood
Canst bring me to the smiling God,
Reveal my sins forgiven,
And bless me with that rapturous sight
Which makes the saints' supreme delight,
Which makes a heaven of heaven.

1328.

[In momentary majesty]

Who appeared in glory, and spake of His, &c. —ix. 31.

In momentary majesty
My Saviour on the mount I see,
As on His dazzling throne,
But when the glorious God appears,
He still remains the Man of tears,
And speaks of death alone.

May this alone my thoughts employ
In triumph of ecstatic joy,
And temper the delight;
The moment that transports me hence,
And bids eternity commence,
Be ever in my sight.

184

1329.

[When shall the happy moment come]

When they were awake, they saw His glory, &c. —ix. 32.

When shall the happy moment come,
Which calls our dust out of the tomb
To see Thy glories shine?
Which doth our slumbering eyes unseal,
And all the mysteries reveal,
And all the truths Divine.

The world, and all we valued here
Shall then an empty dream appear,
And vanish from our view,
While Thee triumphant on Thy throne,
We see surrounded with Thine own
Creating all things new.

The fulness of the Deity
Even I shall then adore in Thee,
And on Thy beauties gaze,
Enjoy the pure eternal light,
And fall transported at the sight
In ecstasy of praise.

1330.

[Who tastes the truth, and Jesus sees]

Let us make three tabernacles; one for Thee, &c. —ix. 33.

Who tastes the truth, and Jesus sees
In all the Scripture-mysteries
The law and prophets' End,
Delights to meditate and pray,
Would gladly on the mountain stay,
And never more descend.

1331.

[Blind to the Christian mystery]

Not knowing what he said. —ix. 33.

Blind to the Christian mystery,
We first a glimpse of glory see,
And zealous for Thy cause

185

Expect with sanguine hope and vain
The rest before the toil to gain,
The crown before the cross.

But ah! we know not what we say,
Who for pure consolation pray,
And seek with fond desire
In pomp of ghostly gifts to shine,
And in our fleshly prisons join
The bright celestial choir.

1332.

[Him, only Him we long to hear]

This is My beloved Son: hear Him. —ix. 35.

Him, only Him we long to hear,
Creator of the listening ear,
Who comes in Moses' place,
Spirit and life and power imparts,
And speaks into our faithful hearts
The words of truth and grace.

He doth to us His mind declare,
By every gospel messenger
His will to sinners show;
To heathens poor He speaks His praise,
He speaks by all His mysteries,
His life and death below.

He speaks by benefits bestow'd;
We hear the language of His rod,
Who kindly doth reprove:
In trouble's storm He chides our fear,
And gives our flutter'd hearts to hear
The whispering voice of love.

His Spirit's small and quiet voice
Makes all our broken bones rejoice,
Our souls to health restores;

186

And then the saint renew'd by grace
Abhors himself, and hides his face,
And silently adores.

1333.

[Jesus alone the room supplies]

When the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. —ix. 36.

Jesus alone the room supplies
Of prophets, law, and sacrifice,
Containing all in one:
And let the shadows disappear,
Suffice for us that Christ is here,
That Christ is seen alone.

Thee Lord our law and rule we see,
Regard no other guide but Thee
To that good land above;
Thine, not Elijah's spirit desire,
And call for no celestial fire
But that of purest love.

1334.

[From the calm repose of prayer]

When they were come down from the hill, &c. —ix. 37.

From the calm repose of prayer,
Mount of contemplation sweet,
To our labour we repair,
Haste the multitude to meet:
Sinners hungry for the word,
Sick of every soul-disease,
When in us they hear our Lord,
Heal'd by faith they go in peace.

See the fruit of faithful prayer,
When the sacred mount we leave
Souls prevent the pastor's care,
Jesus eager to receive:
Sinners poor, before we seek,
Waiting for the word are found:
Then of Jesus' love we speak;
Thousands bless the joyful sound!

187

1335.

[Jesus attend my cry]

Behold, a man of the company cried out, &c. —ix. 38.

Jesus attend my cry,
And cast a pitying eye;
Meanest of the sinful crowd
Me with kind compassion see:
Sorely vex'd I cry aloud,
Cry aloud for help to Thee.

Tormented I confess
My own most desperate case:
Nearer than an only child,
Lord, my only soul's oppress'd,
By the filthy fiend defiled,
By the pride of hell possess'd.

No help or hope I have
But in Thy power to save;
Master of the ransom'd soul,
Thou canst by a touch of Thine
Change my heart and make it whole,
Fill with purity Divine.

1336.

[A youth possess'd by sin]

Lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly, &c. —ix. 39.

A youth possess'd by sin
Obeys the spirit unclean,
Horribly at times he roars,
For his own damnation calls;
Satan governs all his powers,
Bruises by a thousand falls.

Weaker for each he lies,
And more attach'd to vice:
Shorter every interval
Fiercer lusts his bosom tear,
Shake him o'er the mouth of hell,
Leave him sunk in sad despair.

188

1337.

[Jesus, incline Thine ear]

I besought Thy disciples to cast him out. —ix. 40.

Jesus, incline Thine ear,
Thine own disciples hear;
Help the wretch for whom we pray,
While our impotence we own,
Chase the' indwelling fiend away,
Heal his soul Thyself alone.

1338.

[Who marvel at His power admire]

But while they wondered . . . He said, &c. —ix. 43.

Who marvel at His power admire
The greater wonder of His grace,
For God, the' incarnate God to' expire
Is more than all hell's host to chase:
From Satan's hands who rescued man
Into the hands of man betray'd,
Endured the cross, the shame, the pain,
And love's omnipotence display'd.

1339.

[The little child, the twice-born man]

Jesus . . . took a child, and set him by Him. —ix. 47.

The little child, the twice-born man,
Thou, Lord, wilt to Thyself receive,
Who humbly doth his soul refrain,
No glory to the creature give,
None to himself assume, or claim
Among the saints an honour'd name.

O could I gain my calling's height
Reduced to second infancy,
Smallest of all in my own sight,
Caught to Thy arms and hid in Thee,
Hid from the world, unmark'd, unknown,
Till seen the partner of Thy throne.

1340.

[We will not chide Thy followers, Lord]

Forbid him not. —ix. 50.

We will not chide Thy followers, Lord,
Distinct from us, who preach Thy word,

189

Who devils in Thy name expel,
And pluck poor sinners out of hell;
We dare not enviously deny
Their inward call to prophesy,
While faith is to their hearers given,
With God Himself sent down from heaven.

1341.

[Wherefore should we droop or fear]

When the time was come that He should be, &c. —ix. 51.

Wherefore should we droop or fear,
When the hour of death is near?
Death is but a ready way
Leading to the realms of day;
Wing'd in death our souls shall fly
To our city in the sky,
Find in Him that reigns above
All we wish, and all we love.

Tell me, O my Life, my Hope,
When shall I be taken up?
If Thy signs I understand
Now the time is near at hand:
Set my steadfast face and heart,
Make me ready to depart,
Breathe Thyself into my breast,
Bear me to eternal rest.

1342.

[Vengeance doth to God belong]

Wilt Thou that we command fire to come, &c. —ix. 54.

Vengeance doth to God belong:
Who the mind of Jesus have,
Kindness we return for wrong,
Only wish our foes to save.
If to Christ in spirit join'd,
If in us His bowels move,
Anger at the sin we find,
More than life the sinner love.

190

Let the furious sons of Rome
Show exterminating zeal,
Loathsome heretics consume,
Call for fire from heaven—or hell:
Lord, in their behalf we call,
Send Thy Spirit from above,
Burn their sins, consume them all,
Burn their souls with fire—of love.

1343.

[O thou who hadst the world forsook]

No man, having put his hand to the plough, &c. —ix. 62.

O thou who hadst the world forsook,
And set thy hand to Jesus' plough,
If back thou cast a wishful look,
One earthly fond desire allow,
That one desire thy bane will be,
And ruin all His work in thee.

Who to the world restorest thy heart,
Thou forfeitest the gracious power,
Unqualified for God thou art,
But ten times deader than before,
Fit with apostate fiends to dwell,
Fit for a burning throne in hell.

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER IX.

1317.

[A hidden kingdom in the skies]