The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Walk in man and angels' view,
Blameless walk in open day,
Follow'd by His piercing eye
Who to faith alone appears,
Still I think—the Judge is nigh,
Still reflect—the Witness hears.

1377.

[See the source of human care!]

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, &c. —xii. 6, 7.

See the source of human care!
Man will not on God rely,
God who counts his every hair
Doth his every want supply,
Loves the works His hands have wrought;
None without His nod can fall,
Not a sparrow is forgot,
God preserves and cares for all.

Him we foolishly mistrust,
Him ungratefully forget,
Doubt if God be true and just,
Kind to give the promised meat.
But His word if sinners claim
He cannot unfaithful prove,
He continues still the same,
Wisdom, Power, and Truth, and Love.

Who His wisdom can surprise?
Who can overrule His power?
Providence with all its eyes
Guides us in the dangerous hour;
Every word of His is sure,
Mercy bears us in its hands;
Then we stand in Christ secure
Long as our Supporter stands.

209

1378.

[Whom the Lord of life denies]

He that denieth Me before men shall be, &c. —xii. 9.

Whom the Lord of life denies,
Justly, finally forsakes,
Satan claims as lawful prize,
To his place of torment takes.

1379.

[Jesus declines the umpire's place]

Who made Me a judge or a divider over, &c. —xii. 14.

Jesus declines the umpire's place
Whose word had made their difference end,
To teach the stewards of His grace
Above all earthly views to' ascend;
True ministers of Christ the Lord
Should only live to preach His word.

1380.

[Our life on needful things depends]

A man's life consisteth not in the abundance, &c. —xii. 15.

Our life on needful things depends,
Not on superfluous treasures vain:
A little serves for nature's ends;
And if a world of wealth we gain,
We nothing gain with all our care
But food to eat and clothes to wear.

1381.

[By riches lawfully acquired]

What shall I do, because I have no room, &c. —xii. 17.

By riches lawfully acquired
The miserable owner's vex'd;
Possess'd of all his heart desired,
Yet still encumber'd and perplex'd.
Poor in abundance, he complains
Of wealth preserved by toil and cost,
And anxious to secure his gains
Regrets his peace for ever lost.

Not such the riches of His grace
Which God hath to His people given:
Riches which at our wish increase,
Enlarge, and fill the heart with heaven:

210

Distributing we find them grow,
Preserved and multiplied by use,
Which we (who their true value know,
And always love) can never lose.

1382.

[Full of designs for living here]

There will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. —xii. 18.

Full of designs for living here
Till death, the worldly man we see,
Till summon'd at the bar to' appear
Unmindful of eternity:
In vain he passes all his days,
He lives a wretch for this alone,
Earth to remove, and heap, and raise,
And leave it to his heirs unknown.

The perishable things below
He fondly reckons all his goods,
No happiness desires to know,
No treasure in those bright abodes;
Renounces the good things unseen,
The saints' ineffable delight,
The heavenly joys of righteous men,
The Good Supreme, the Saviour's sight.

1383.

[“Goods for many years laid up!”]

Thou hast much goods laid up for many years. —xii. 19.

“Goods for many years laid up!”
Worldling, to the future blind,
Trust not thy deceitful hope
Of those many years behind;
Slave to appetite and sense,
Foolish soul, of life secure,
Who, when judgment calls thee hence,
Can another hour ensure?

211

1384.

[Hear this, thou prosperous wretched man]

But God said unto him, Thou fool, &c. —xii. 20.

Hear this, thou prosperous wretched man,
Thou fool, by fools reputed wise,
Enlarge thy wealth-augmenting plan,
Enjoy the goods this earth supplies,
Indulge thy worldly heart's desire,
Regardless of the things unseen:
But God shall soon thy soul require,
And where are all thy treasures then?

1385.

[The miser doth his riches store]

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, &c. —xii. 21.

The miser doth his riches store
Not for his own or others' use,
Not for his God in Jesus' poor,
But for himself—to count—and lose:
Wealth for himself his confidence,
His god he makes, his sole delight
Till hurried in a moment hence
He sinks in everlasting night.

1386.

[Labour is by God enjoin'd]

Neither be ye of doubtful mind. —xii. 29.

Labour is by God enjoin'd,
God forbids our needless care,
Toil of the mistrustful mind,
Hung like meteors in the air,
Held in infidel suspense
Doubting His good providence.

But whoe'er Thy word receive,
We a firm support have found,
Free and undistracted live,
Built on an eternal ground,
Truth Divine which cannot move,
Boundless power, and endless love.

212

1387.

[Only on our Father's love]

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's, &c. —xii. 32.

Only on our Father's love
For the kingdom we depend:
Whom He doth in Christ approve
God shall keep us to the end:
Kindly number'd with His own,
Wherefore should we doubt or fear?
He who hath the work begun
Gives the grace to persevere.

1388.

[Is it not the Shepherd's voice?]

Is it not the Shepherd's voice?
Jesus, I Thy word embrace,
Fearful I in hope rejoice,
I shall gain the crowning grace
I the kingdom shall receive,
By my Father's pleasure given,
Triumph in Thy smile, and live
High-enthroned with God in heaven.

1389.

[Give us, Lord, the grace to give]

Sell that ye have, and give alms, &c. —xii. 33.

Give us, Lord, the grace to give,
Then we shall relieve Thy poor;
Then we shall from Thee receive
Gifts an hundredfold or more,
Riches which can never fail,
Safe laid up for saints above,
Treasures incorruptible,
Endless stores of heavenly love.

Selling all our happiness,
All our hopes beneath the skies,
Strangely we procure Thy grace
Without money, without price.

213

Gain, when grace removes us hence,
Solid and immortal good,
All our rich inheritance,
All the purchase of Thy blood.

1390.

[What we love for its own sake]

Where your treasure is, there will your heart, &c. —xii. 34.

What we love for its own sake,
Merely for ourselves desire,
We of that our treasure make,
Happiness from that require.
Pleasure, wealth, or fame, or power,
Business, books, or sports, or ease,
Grasp'd for one amusing hour,
Then our joys for ever cease.

Thou, my God, and Thou alone
My unfailing treasure be:
Thou art all good things in one;
Let me find them all in Thee.
When my whole delight Thou art,
Then I find the treasure given,
Heaven resides within my heart,
Dwells my heart with Thee in heaven.

1391.

[Jesus the power impart]

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord, &c. —xii. 37.

Jesus the power impart
Thy coming to attend,
And mark the motions of my heart,
Till life and care shall end:
That last important hour
Be ever in my sight,
Till mounting from the watchman's tower,
I greet my friends in light.

214

1392.

[Each should the word receive]

Speakest Thou this parable unto us, or even to all? —xii. 41.

Each should the word receive
As to himself address'd;
For what my Lord to me doth give,
He gives it to the rest:
We all through life's short day
Our God should glorify;
We all are call'd to watch and pray,
For all are born to die.

1393.

[Goods and time, and gifts, and grace]

Who then is that faithful and wise steward, &c. —xii. 42.

Goods and time, and gifts, and grace
And life, are not my own,
Nothing I from Christ possess
But for His use alone:
In His family employ'd,
A steward of His mysteries I
Daily with the word of God
His people's wants supply.

Master, Lord, on me confer
The tender zeal of love,
Then I shall my faithful care
Over Thy church approve,
Gladly all my talents spend,
With constant, wise fidelity
Serve Thy people to the end
And live and die for Thee.

1394.

[Living to dispense Thy grace]

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, &c. —xii. 43.

Living to dispense Thy grace
A life of toil and care,
Never may I quit my place
Through slackness or despair;

215

Labouring with my utmost power
Thy servant at the gospel feast,
Find me at my latest hour,
And give me then to rest.

1395.

[Great the steward's labour is]

He will make him ruler over all that he hath. —xii. 44.

Great the steward's labour is,
But greater the reward,
Bliss, immeasurable bliss,
The riches of his Lord:
All He hath if Jesus give,
Who comprehends the vast delight,
He may God Himself conceive
And grasp the Infinite.

1396.

[What will it profit me to know]

That servant, which knew his lord's will, &c. —xii. 47.

What will it profit me to know,
That others know their sins forgiven,
And on to full perfection go,
And live on earth the life of heaven?
Unpardon'd if I still remain,
Nor serve my Lord with loving zeal,
My light will aggravate my pain,
And lead me to the darkest hell.

1397.

[Thou camest from above]

I am come to send fire on the earth. —xii. 49.

Thou camest from above
The fire of heavenly love
Over all the earth to spread;
Good and gracious as Thou art
Now Thy loving Spirit shed,
Now inflame my longing heart.

Answer Thine own design,
And let one spark Divine

216

From that sacred altar come
Kindled once on Calvary,
All my sins by love consume,
Hallow all my soul to Thee.

1398.

[Thee, Lord, Thy love constrains]

How am I straitened till it be accomplished! —xii. 50.

Thee, Lord, Thy love constrains
To save us through Thy pains,
Straiten'd by desire Thou art
To appease the wrath of God,
Life by Thy own death to' impart,
Man to wash in Thy own blood.

Thy precious sacrifice
The general pardon buys:
Hence, my God, Thou canst not rest
Till Thou lay the ransom down,
Till with grace and glory bless'd
All Thy saints obtain their crown.

1399.

[Peace with the world and peace with God]

Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? —xii. 51.

Peace with the world and peace with God
We never can at once maintain;
And Christ redeems us with His blood
From friendships and connections vain,
He breaks us off from man, to join
Our souls to Him in love Divine.

Spirit of unity, come down,
Thy people from the world to part
That knit to God in Christ alone
With all our mind and all our heart,
Perfect in one Thy church may know
Why the great God appear'd below.

217

1400.

[Thy work, O God, they will not see]

How is it, that ye do not discern this time? —xii. 56.

Thy work, O God, they will not see
Revived in our degenerate days,
Or mark the crowds begot by Thee,
The signs of Thy converting grace,
Refusing with their sin to part,
That wilful blindness of the heart.

Sinners, your bosom sins let go,
So shall ye all the truth perceive,
Your time of visitation know,
And savingly on Christ believe,
Increase the publicans forgiven,
And live on earth the life of heaven.

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XII.

1376.

[Nothing I in secret do]