The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Yes; for Thou hast received
The sinners' chief in me:
Through mercy I believed,
And favour found with Thee:
Admitted on Thy grace to feast,
O take me to Thy glorious rest.

233

1432.

[Jesus the good Shepherd, good]

What man . . . having an hundred sheep, if, &c. —xv. 4–10.

Jesus the good Shepherd, good
With Divine humanity,
Miss'd the purchase of His blood,
Left the ninety-nine for me:
Hurrying down the' infernal way
Long His fugitive He sought,
Found at last His fainting stray,
Found, and to His bosom caught.

Kindly for His own He cares,
Full of sympathetic love
All my griefs and burdens bears,
Hides my life secure above:
Sure support His mercy gives,
Bears beyond the adverse power,
Never to myself He leaves,
Never lets me wander more.

Jesus now gone up on high
Calls his family above,
Bids his friends and neighbours cry
“Glory to the God of love!”
Jesus' bliss the church inspires
Who before His face appear,
Angels strike their sounding lyres
For a soul repenting here.

Angels, saints, and men are glad
At a prodigal's return,
Envious Pharisees are sad,
With the powers of darkness mourn:

234

Scribes in every age the same
Thus their true succession prove,
By their murmurings proclaim
“God we neither fear nor love.”

1433.

[The cause of human ruin see!]

Father, give me the portion of goods, &c. —xv. 12.

The cause of human ruin see!
Man will his own disposer be,
And independent live,
His gracious stock at once demands,
Nor will from a kind Father's hands
His daily bread receive.

1434.

[Lord of himself, he takes his flight]

The younger son gathered all together, and, &c. —xv. 13.

Lord of himself, he takes his flight,
Far from his heavenly Father's sight,
While sense and passion guides,
Far as he can from God removes,
Through nature's paths licentious roves,
And with the world resides.

Ranging in vice without control,
He spends the riches of his soul,
Religion's laws disdains,
He sells himself and God for nought,
Sins on till not one serious thought
Or good desire remains.

1435.

[Who happy without God would be]

He began to be in want. —xv. 14.

Who happy without God would be
Finds only want and misery
When God is quite removed:
How void the soul if He depart,
And O, what famine in the heart
Where Jesus is not loved.

235

1436.

[Yet more and more abandon'd still]

And joined himself to a citizen of that country, &c. —xv. 15.

Yet more and more abandon'd still
He hires himself at Satan's will
To serve the fiend's design;
And lo, the tempter's instrument
To theatres and gardens sent,
He feeds the devil's swine.

He spends his strength the world to please,
In sin's most sordid services
Obeys his cruel lord,
A labourer in his vineyard lives,
Death all the wages he receives
And hell his whole reward.

1437.

[With envious impotent desire]

He would fain have filled his belly with, &c. —xv. 16.

With envious impotent desire,
The creatures wallowing in the mire,
The human herd he sees;
But no delight in sin can taste,
Harass'd and quite worn out at last
In Satan's drudgeries.

His wishes, were they all fulfill'd,
No real happiness could yield,
The filthy sinful herd
Could never satisfy his need;
On vanity themselves they feed,
On ashes, husks, and wind.

1438.

[When to his sober mind restored]

How many hired servants of my father's, &c. —xv. 17.

When to his sober mind restored,
He envies those that serve the Lord
With every good supplied,

236

Who in His family possess
The true substantial happiness,
And nothing want beside.

1439.

[Drawn by the secret power of grace]

I will arise and go to my father, &c. —xv. 18.

Drawn by the secret power of grace
Sin to forsake, and all its ways,
And not a moment lose,
He vows to try if prayer can move
The bowels of a Father's love,
At once resolves, and does.

1440.

[I will, I do arise]

And he arose, and came to his father. —xv. 20.

I will, I do arise,
And to my Father go,
My injured Father in the skies
To Thee my heart I show;
With late remorse confess
I have rebellious been,
My inward parts are wickedness,
And all my life is sin.

A sinner in Thy sight,
I have Thy justice dared,
And forfeited my filial right,
And earn'd the fiends' reward:
Yet do not lose Thine own;
Yet me for Jesus' sake,
(Unworthy to be call'd a son,)
Thy meanest servant make.

1441.

[With mercy's quickest eyes]

His father saw him, and had compassion, &c. —xv. 20.

With mercy's quickest eyes
His wretched son He sees,
The prodigal far off espies,
And pities his distress:

237

At sight of human woe
His yearning bowels move,
The Father swiftly runs to show
His warm paternal love.

A late-returning child,
His mercy's arms embrace,
His lips declare him reconciled,
His lips distilling grace;
The kiss dispels his fears,
With balmy words applied,
The self-condemning sinner hears,
And seals him justified.

Not one upbraiding word
The pardon'd sinner grieves:
In mercy rich his heavenly Lord
Forgets when He forgives:
He hears his heart's desire,
Preventing his request,
And recent from the swine and mire
Receives him to His breast.

1442.

[Father, I still confess]

And the son said . . . Father, I have sinned, &c. —xv. 21.

Father, I still confess
The sins Thou hast forgiven,
Unworthy to behold Thy face
Or lift mine eyes to heaven:
Though Thou Thy love reveal
Remitting all my debt,
That I have sinn'd I never will,
I never can forget.

Thou know'st what I would say
While at Thy feet I fall,
And dost not give me time to pray
To be the least of all:

238

Thy mercy bids me rise,
From all that I have done
Discharged, and fill'd with sweet surprise,
And call'd a pleasant son.

1443.

[Yet for my sinless Saviour's sake]

Yet for my sinless Saviour's sake
Thou wilt be reconciled,
Into Thine arms of mercy take,
And own me for Thy child.

1444.

[Thou hast brought forth for me]

Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, &c. —xv. 22.

Thou hast brought forth for me
That best original dress,
That robe of spotless purity
To hide my nakedness:
The robe Thy children wear
By faith is truly mine,
The perfect heavenly character,
The righteousness Divine.

The ring, the Spirit's seal
I from Thy hands receive,
Earnest of bliss ineffable
Which only God can give:
The signet bears His name
Who left His throne above,
And lo, to Christ betrothed I am
In mercy, truth, and love.

Shod with the gospel-peace
I safely now go on,
Ready with all Thy messages
In all Thy paths to run;

239

I urge my way with speed,
And strength invincible,
On serpents, and on scorpions tread,
On sin, and death, and hell.

1445.

[At the great feast of God]

And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, &c. —xv. 23.

At the great feast of God
Delighted I sit down,
And eat the flesh, and drink the blood
Of Thine eternal Son:
I more than taste and see
How full of grace Thou art:
I sup with Christ, and Christ with me,
And heaven o'erflows my heart.

Angels the banquet share,
Thy family above
More happy, more triumphant are
Through Thy redeeming love;
My joy doth theirs increase,
Exalts their raptures higher,
O'erwhelms with mightier ecstasies
The whole transported choir.

From every golden string
Sublimer praises sound,
The dead restored to life they sing,
The wandering sinner found;
Found, to be lost no more,
Alive, in life to stay,
And love, and wonder, and adore
Through one eternal day.

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XV.

1431.

[Yes; for Thou hast received]