 | CHAPTER XIX. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
CHAPTER XIX.
1486.
[A rich man saved! it cannot be]
Behold, there was a man named Zacchæus, &c.
—xix. 2.
A rich man saved! it cannot be,
Till sovereign grace his heart incline;
But then the' impossibility
Is done by Christ, the Power Divine,
The chief of publicans believes,
The sinners' chief his Lord receives.
1487.
[Thou Saviour dost the wish impart]
He sought to see Jesus who He was; and, &c.
—xix. 3.
Thou Saviour dost the wish impart,
Which draws a sinner from the crowd,
263
And lifts him up to see his God:
Through Thee he longs Thyself to know,
And then Thou dost the sight bestow.
1488.
[Allured by his Redeemer's love]
And he ran before, and climbed up into a, &c.
—xix. 4.
Allured by his Redeemer's love,
Prevented by His secret grace,
He runs with eagerness, above
All earthly things himself to raise,
Surmounts the judgment of mankind,
And leaves a scoffing world behind.
Prevented by His secret grace,
He runs with eagerness, above
All earthly things himself to raise,
Surmounts the judgment of mankind,
And leaves a scoffing world behind.
He waits in hope to see and know
The Lord in His appointed ways,
Where Christ is wont to pass, and show
Himself to those who seek His face,
Who all behold His love reveal'd,
And glory in their pardon seal'd.
The Lord in His appointed ways,
Where Christ is wont to pass, and show
Himself to those who seek His face,
Who all behold His love reveal'd,
And glory in their pardon seal'd.
1489.
[Before He saw him in the tree]
And when Jesus came to the place, He looked, &c.
—xix. 5.
Before He saw him in the tree
Jesus the curious gazer view'd,
Gave him that heart sincerity,
That passion for a glimpse of God;
And while he after Christ aspires,
The Saviour crowns His own desires.
1490.
[Sinner, come down at Jesus' call]
He . . . said unto him, Zacchæus, make haste, &c.
—xix. 5.
Sinner, come down at Jesus' call,
Sink into thy own nothingness,
Feel the full misery of thy fall,
Thy vile apostasy confess,
Jesus with lowly faith receive,
Who stoops with sinful men to live.
Sink into thy own nothingness,
Feel the full misery of thy fall,
Thy vile apostasy confess,
Jesus with lowly faith receive,
Who stoops with sinful men to live.
264
Humility prepares His way,
His saving power the humble feel:
Jesus will lodge with thee to-day,
Will every day with sinners dwell,
Nor visit as a transient guest,
But be their everlasting Feast.
His saving power the humble feel:
Jesus will lodge with thee to-day,
Will every day with sinners dwell,
Nor visit as a transient guest,
But be their everlasting Feast.
He for no invitation stays,
But freely of His own accord
Comes with the kingdom of His grace,
And favour shows as sovereign Lord:
His love, for every sinner free,
Precedes all good desire in thee.
But freely of His own accord
Comes with the kingdom of His grace,
And favour shows as sovereign Lord:
His love, for every sinner free,
Precedes all good desire in thee.
1491.
[Who would not descend His Saviour to meet?]
And he made haste, and came down, and, &c.
—xix. 6–9.
Who would not descend His Saviour to meet?
The publicans' Friend I hasten to greet:
And from my embraces He never shall part,
When on His own graces He feasts in my heart.
The publicans' Friend I hasten to greet:
And from my embraces He never shall part,
When on His own graces He feasts in my heart.
The Pharisees see And murmur in vain,
“Who comes unto Me With Me shall remain”;
The gracious Beginner Of faith will go on,
And raise a mere sinner To sit on His throne.
“Who comes unto Me With Me shall remain”;
The gracious Beginner Of faith will go on,
And raise a mere sinner To sit on His throne.
The change of my heart My life shall express,
While freely I part With all I possess;
My Master from heaven To Thee I restore
The goods Thou hast given, By feeding the poor.
While freely I part With all I possess;
My Master from heaven To Thee I restore
The goods Thou hast given, By feeding the poor.
I stand in Thy sight My evils to own,
And render their right To all I have known,
Renounce with confusion My ill-gotten gain,
And full restitution I make unto man.
And render their right To all I have known,
Renounce with confusion My ill-gotten gain,
And full restitution I make unto man.
265
If God justifies, Let all men condemn;
Worse in my own eyes, And viler than them,
Possess'd of Thy favour, A penitent poor,
My God and my Saviour, What can I have more?
Worse in my own eyes, And viler than them,
Possess'd of Thy favour, A penitent poor,
My God and my Saviour, What can I have more?
The heart that believes Is Jesus's home,
When Him it receives Salvation is come;
And I through His passion From sin am set free,
And now my Salvation Inhabits in me.
When Him it receives Salvation is come;
And I through His passion From sin am set free,
And now my Salvation Inhabits in me.
Of Abraham's line The Blessing I own,
To me and to mine In Jesus made known:
His indwelling Spirit Believing we find,
And gladly inherit The Friend of mankind.
To me and to mine In Jesus made known:
His indwelling Spirit Believing we find,
And gladly inherit The Friend of mankind.
1492.
[Our whole apostate kind]
The Son of man is come to seek and to save.
—xix. 10.
Our whole apostate kind
May now salvation find:
Lost to every thought of good,
Lost as sheep that went astray,
Jesus brought us by His blood
Back into Himself the Way.
May now salvation find:
Lost to every thought of good,
Lost as sheep that went astray,
Jesus brought us by His blood
Back into Himself the Way.
Us through rebellion lost
To save, His life it cost:
Lost through sin's most sore disease,
Gasping out our latest breath,
Jesus brought us health and ease,
Rescued from that second death.
To save, His life it cost:
Lost through sin's most sore disease,
Gasping out our latest breath,
Jesus brought us health and ease,
Rescued from that second death.
From sin and misery
Come then and rescue me,
Come my wandering soul to seek,
Come my sin-sick soul to heal,
All my guilty fetters break,
All Thy saving grace reveal.
Come then and rescue me,
Come my wandering soul to seek,
Come my sin-sick soul to heal,
All my guilty fetters break,
All Thy saving grace reveal.
266
Still let Thy grace abound
To me a sinner found:
Equal need I always have
To be sought and found by Thee:
Now, and every moment save,
Save through all eternity.
To me a sinner found:
Equal need I always have
To be sought and found by Thee:
Now, and every moment save,
Save through all eternity.
1493.
[Thy pound hath gain'd the pounds, not I]
Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
—xix. 16.
Thy pound hath gain'd the pounds, not I,
Not I, who all but sin disclaim:
My Saviour did the grace supply,
I nothing can, I nothing am,
Thou wrought'st in me to will and do,
Thou shalt have all the glory too.
1494.
[Tremble thou careless minister]
Lord, . . . here is thy pound, which I have kept, &c.
—xix. 20.
Tremble thou careless minister,
Who standest all day long
Idle in Jesus' vineyard here,
Yet think'st thou dost no wrong,
Content in indolence to live,
As for thy pastime born,
Thou dost from Christ the pound receive,
And make Him no return.
Who standest all day long
Idle in Jesus' vineyard here,
Yet think'st thou dost no wrong,
Content in indolence to live,
As for thy pastime born,
Thou dost from Christ the pound receive,
And make Him no return.
Not to improve them, is to lose
The talents of thy God,
The gifts which for His church's use
He hath on thee bestow'd;
Not to do good is to do ill;
Thy sacred ministry
Not to discharge, not to fulfil,
Is wickedness in thee.
The talents of thy God,
The gifts which for His church's use
He hath on thee bestow'd;
Not to do good is to do ill;
Thy sacred ministry
Not to discharge, not to fulfil,
Is wickedness in thee.
267
1495.
[But lo, the sentence to prevent]
Those mine enemies . . . slay them before me.
—xix. 27.
But lo, the sentence to prevent,
While yet Thou may'st be found I come,
Thy foes and mine to Thee present;
Jesus to swift destruction doom
My sins, and rebel lusts, not me,
Who groan beneath their tyranny.
While yet Thou may'st be found I come,
Thy foes and mine to Thee present;
Jesus to swift destruction doom
My sins, and rebel lusts, not me,
Who groan beneath their tyranny.
These lords Thy subject have oppress'd,
And never will Thy laws obey:
Expel the tyrants from my breast,
The' usurpers by Thy Spirit slay,
Slay by the brightness of Thy face,
And let Thy glory fill the place.
And never will Thy laws obey:
Expel the tyrants from my breast,
The' usurpers by Thy Spirit slay,
Slay by the brightness of Thy face,
And let Thy glory fill the place.
1496.
[This, this we all acknowledge]
The whole multitude of the disciples began, &c.
—xix. 37, 38.
This, this we all acknowledge
Our time of visitation,
And see and own
What Thou hast done
For us and our salvation;
Sent from Thy Father's bosom
Honour, and might, and blessing,
And glory we
Ascribe to Thee,
And praises without ceasing.
Our time of visitation,
And see and own
What Thou hast done
For us and our salvation;
Sent from Thy Father's bosom
Honour, and might, and blessing,
And glory we
Ascribe to Thee,
And praises without ceasing.
Come in Thy gracious kingdom
We now by faith adore Thee;
But wait to see
Thy majesty,
And all Thy heavenly glory;
Thy last triumphant coming
Shall from the grave deliver;
And then we rise
Above the skies,
And praise our King for ever.
We now by faith adore Thee;
But wait to see
Thy majesty,
And all Thy heavenly glory;
268
Shall from the grave deliver;
And then we rise
Above the skies,
And praise our King for ever.
1497.
[The word fulfill'd in this our day]
If these should hold their peace, the stones, &c.
—xix. 40.
The word fulfill'd in this our day
Obdurate sinners find,
And joyful multitudes obey
The Saviour of mankind:
Because the rulers hold their peace
The stones cry out and sing;
And still we shout, and still confess
The coming of our King.
1498.
[Weeps the Saviour o'er His foe]
He beheld the city, and wept over it.
—xix. 41.
Weeps the Saviour o'er His foe,
The vilest of mankind:
Need we arguments to show
His mercy unconfined?
Arguments His heart to prove,
Copious from His eyes they fall,
Every tear demonstrates love,
And love that died for all!
The vilest of mankind:
Need we arguments to show
His mercy unconfined?
Arguments His heart to prove,
Copious from His eyes they fall,
Every tear demonstrates love,
And love that died for all!
Still the streams of pity run,
And never, never cease,
Still He mourns a soul undone
By its own wickedness;
One who would from Him depart
He doth with eyes of mercy see:
Grieves for me His melting heart,
His Spirit grieves for me!
And never, never cease,
Still He mourns a soul undone
By its own wickedness;
One who would from Him depart
He doth with eyes of mercy see:
Grieves for me His melting heart,
His Spirit grieves for me!
269
Jesus, lengthen out my day,
That I Thy grace may know,
Grace which takes the stone away
And makes the waters flow:
Touch me with Thy sacred grief,
Draw me to Thy wounded side;
Then Thy blood is my relief,
And speaks me justified.
That I Thy grace may know,
Grace which takes the stone away
And makes the waters flow:
Touch me with Thy sacred grief,
Draw me to Thy wounded side;
Then Thy blood is my relief,
And speaks me justified.
1499.
[The most apostate spirit below]
Thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
—xix. 44.
The most apostate spirit below
Amidst his torments shall confess
His season he refused to know
When visited by saving grace:
This, sinner, makes the hell of hell,
Thou might'st have lived on earth forgiven,
Consign'd to flames unquenchable
Thou might'st have gain'd the joys of heaven.
1500.
[Still every faithful minister]
The chief priests . . . sought to destroy Him, &c.
—xix. 47, 48.
Still every faithful minister
Meets with the treatment of his Lord;
The priests detest, and scorn to hear,
The people hang upon his word.
| CHAPTER XIX. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |