The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Saviour to Thee in sufferings join'd,
We cordial consolation find,
(If Thou Thy grace supply,)
Thy heaviest load with joy receive,
The offscouring of all things live,
Till on Thy cross we die.

1559.

[Though men Thy yoke disdain]

Art Thou the King of the Jews? And He, &c. —xxiii. 3.

Though men Thy yoke disdain,
Thy rights Thou wilt maintain:
King of disobedient Jews,
King of inward Jews Thou art:
Those Thine iron rod shall bruise,
These Thou hidest in Thy heart.

All must confess Thy power,
And perish, or adore:
O might I Thy goodness feel,
Object of Thy mercy prove,
Jesus, change my rebel will,
Prince of peace, and God of love.

I long to feel Thy sway,
And all Thy laws obey:
King of righteousness appear,
Reign in all Thy saints alone,
'Stablish Thy dominion here,
Fix in me Thy heavenly throne.

1560.

[Harmless in act, and word, and thought]

Pilate said, . . . I find no fault in this Man. —xxiii. 4.

Harmless in act, and word, and thought,
The judge declares Him free from blame,
Without a blemish or a spot,
A sinless Saint, a perfect Lamb;

297

And such is a fit sacrifice,
And such for sinful man He dies!

1561.

[Rejoice, ye followers of your Lord]

They were the more fierce, saying, He, &c. —xxiii. 5.

Rejoice, ye followers of your Lord,
Who preach the pure, pacific word,
Disturbers of the public peace,
Troublers of sleeping consciences,
As enemies to church and state,
Whom all men persecute and hate,
To you, your Master's cup is given,
And great is your reward in heaven.

1562.

[Led to a court (our heavenly Lord]

He sent Him to Herod. —xxiii. 7.

Led to a court (our heavenly Lord
Went never of His own accord)
But led in bonds He is;
To show that truth is seldom free
From insults and captivity
In royal palaces.

1563.

[The great ones of the earth delight]

When Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding, &c. —xxiii. 8.

The great ones of the earth delight
In each new entertaining sight,
Diversion all their aim:
And still religion is the sport
Of wicked princes and their court
Who bear the Christian name.

1564.

[Christ doth not hear, or answer those]

Then he questioned with Him in many, &c. —xxiii. 9.

Christ doth not hear, or answer those
Who questions curiously propose:
Let us His cause defend
(When such its enemies we see)
With silent meek humility,
And suffering to the end.

298

1565.

[Worldly men whom interest parts]

The same day Pilate and Herod were, &c. —xxiii. 12.

Worldly men whom interest parts
By that made friends again,
Join their wicked hands and hearts
With Satan and his train;
Widest opposites unite
Kings, soldiers, priests, in this agree
All against the life to fight
Of genuine piety.

1566.

[If guilty why to be set free?]

I will therefore chastise Him, and release, &c. —xxiii. 16.

If guilty why to be set free?
Or why chastised, if innocent?
The heart hath no stability,
By two contending passions rent:
The abject slave of worldly fear
Who basely courts the smiles of men,
Condemning whom he fain would clear,
The judge condemns himself in vain.

1567.

[To David's Son and sovereign Lord]

But they cried, saying, Crucify Him, &c. —xxiii. 21.

To David's Son and sovereign Lord
Hosanna was the people's cry,
Their King they yesterday adored,
To-day they sentence Him to die:
So many blessings He bestow'd,
So many wonders wrought in vain!
Such the benignity of God,
And such the' ingratitude of man!

1568.

[Myself as in a glass]

He released unto them him that for, &c. —xxiii. 25.

Myself as in a glass
I in Barabbas see,
And, Lord, Thou takest the sinner's place,
A criminal for me:

299

Me by Thy mortal smart
Thou dost from death release:
Thy blood is sprinkled on my heart,
And bids me go in peace.

Father, behold Thy Son,
And me, even me in Him
Who doth for all my sins atone,
And by His death redeem;
As fasten'd to the tree,
As cover'd with His blood
His purchase and His member see
For ever one with God.

1569.

[The men that suffer in Thy cause]

On him they laid the cross, that he might, &c. —xxiii. 26.

The men that suffer in Thy cause
To faint beneath their heaviest cross,
Jesus, Thou dost not leave;
But all Thy confessors defend,
Give them Thy patience to the end,
And then Thy glory give.

1570.

[Happy His faithful worshippers]

There followed Him a great company, &c. —xxiii. 27.

Happy His faithful worshippers,
The women with lamenting tears,
And sympathising cries,
Who follow that incarnate God,
That Isaac laden with the wood
Of His own sacrifice.

They see their meek expiring Lord,
His kindest, last, instructive word
Into their hearts receive;
They stand to catch His parting breath,
And hear the Saviour gasp in death
“Father the world forgive!”

300

1571.

[Silent before the king He stood]

Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters, &c. —xxiii. 28.

Silent before the king He stood,
But speaks to the mean multitude
In words of cheering grace,
Their mournful gratitude receives,
To them His last instructions gives,
While dying in their place.

Their deep calamity He sees,
Anticipates their sore distress
By pitying love foreshown,
For them more than Himself He cares,
Their distant griefs and burdens bears
Regardless of His own.

1572.

[Our tears for Thee will nought avail]

Our tears for Thee will nought avail
Unless we Lord our sins bewail,
The cause of all Thy pain,
Unless our rocky hearts be rent
In vain Thou bear'st our punishment,
And shedd'st Thy blood in vain.

But O, Thy blood the sorrow buys,
Thy blood the contrite grace supplies,
And melts my heart of stone:
Struck by Thy death with anguish deep,
Prostrate before Thy cross I weep,
And now myself bemoan.

Long as Thy mangled form appears,
I lie dissolved in gracious tears
Of love's soft sympathy:
And here I would through life remain,
And of those cruel sins complain
Which nail'd Thee to that tree!

301

1573.

[When mercy's day is o'er]

Then shall they begin to say to the, &c. —xxiii. 30.

When mercy's day is o'er,
And time exists no more,
Nothing but the wrath of God
Doth for guilty souls remain:
Sinners then shall bear their load,
Load of everlasting pain.

In vain they would decline
The vengeful wrath Divine,
Would to rocks for shelter call,
Of the righteous Judge afraid,
Bid the' o'erwhelming mountains fall
On their hell-devoted head.

But now through faith we may
To Christ escape away,
In the mount of holiness,
In the Rock of Israel hide,
There our quiet souls possess,
Rest secure in Jesu's side.

Jesus our souls receive,
Who diedst that we might live,
Live till saved from sin and fear
We our spotless lives lay down,
Rise to see our Judge appear,
Hail Thee on Thy great white throne.

1574.

[He dies—a death of pain and shame]

They crucified Him, and the malefactors, &c. —xxiii. 33.

He dies—a death of pain and shame,
To the vile death of slaves submits,
And thus the humble patient Lamb
His own great sacrifice completes!

302

The universal sin He bears,
Conquers the world, and death, and hell,
And balm in His own blood prepares
The wounds of all mankind to heal.

1575.

[When Jesus for His murderers prays]

Father, forgive them; for they know not, &c. —xxiii. 34.

When Jesus for His murderers prays,
Can God reject the dying prayer?
Thou must forgive our ransom'd race;
Thou dost our world of ruffians spare:
The pardon bought by blood Divine
Hath surely pass'd the seals of heaven;
Father, Thou art in Jesus mine,
And all the world's with me forgiven.

1576.

[King of the inward Jews Thou art]

If Thou be the King of the Jews, save Thyself. —xxiii. 37.

King of the inward Jews Thou art,
And reign'st in every faithful heart,
But dearly didst Thy kingdom buy,
Vouchsafing on a cross to die;
The death establishes Thy throne,
And makes our ransom'd souls Thine own,
And saved, and gainers by Thy loss,
We only glory in Thy cross.

Blasphemous Jews may still deride,
And stumble at the Crucified,
Gentiles as foolishness condemn
A God made flesh to die for them;
Saviour, the mystery of Thy grace
Shall be the matter of my praise,
That grace which fills the hosts above
With joy, astonishment, and love.

303

1577.

[Who doth through Jesu's grace repent]

Lord, remember me when Thou comest, &c. —xxiii. 42.

Who doth through Jesu's grace repent
With patience to the cross submits,
Humbly accepts his punishment,
Himself condemns, and God acquits,
Zealous his genuine faith to' express,
And Christ in life and death confess.

His God he on the cross can see,
For His eternal kingdom prays,
In mercy, Lord, remember me,
Give me above the meanest place,
But give me with Thy saints a part,
And bear me on Thy dying heart.

1578.

[A monument of mercy's power]

To-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise. —xxiii. 43.

A monument of mercy's power,
Rescued by Jesus on the tree,
Saved at the last tremendous hour
One soul, and only one we see,
With brokenness of heart sincere
That all may hope, that all may fear.

He but to be remember'd wants,
The time and all things else he leaves:
More than he asks the Saviour grants,
A kingdom promises and gives,
“I will My majesty display,
And thou shalt reign with Me to-day.”

1579.

[Saviour in death, the grace by one]

Saviour in death, the grace by one
Obtain'd, we all who ask shall have,
Thou by Thy precious death alone
Wouldst the whole world of sinners save;

304

Return'd triumphant from the dead,
My Lord, and King, remember me,
And give me, when I bow my head,
To find my paradise in Thee.

1580.

[But thicker darkness overspread]

There was a darkness over all the earth. —xxiii. 44.

But thicker darkness overspread
Their hearts who nail'd Him to the tree,
And could not through that dreadful shade
Perceive the dying Deity:
Admonish'd by that sacred night
Let us to Christ the glory give
Whose death hath merited the light
By which we now in Him believe.

1581.

[Eclipsed the Sun of Righteousness]

And the sun was darkened, and the veil, &c. —xxiii. 45.

Eclipsed the Sun of Righteousness,
His light and life extinguish'd are,
To make the reign of darkness cease,
The veil of shadowy types to tear:
The living way to joys above
Discover'd by His death we find;
It shows our hearts the truth of love,
It opens heaven to all mankind.

1582.

[The righteous real Abel cries]

Jesus . . . cried with a loud voice. —xxiii. 46.

The righteous real Abel cries
With all the strength of mortal pains,
His blood resounding through the skies
Grace for His murderers obtains,
His blood with powerful energy
(While Jesus' soul and body part)
Speaks in the ears of God for me,
And writes my pardon on my heart.

1583.

[O might my course like Jesu's end]

Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit. —xxiii. 46.

O might my course like Jesu's end,
O might His blessed death be mine!

305

I long my spirit to commend
Into those gracious hands Divine;
Father, my gasping spirit receive
By faith united to Thy Son,
And let me with my Saviour live,
In life and death for ever one!

1584.

[The earliest fruits of bleeding love]

Now when the centurion saw what was, &c. —xxiii. 47.

The earliest fruits of bleeding love
Not in a Scribe or Jew appear,
But Jesus' death hath power to move
A heathen's heart with pious fear:
A soldier owns His righteousness
Whom priests and elders crucify,
And teaches us our God to bless,
Who man became for man to die.

1585.

[On the thoughtless multitude]

And all the people that came together to, &c. —xxiii. 48.

On the thoughtless multitude
The second grace is shown,
Those that clamour'd for the blood
Of God's eternal Son;
Those that call'd with fury blind
“Away with Him, not fit to live,”
Soon His answer'd prayer they find
Who cried in death, “Forgive.”

1586.

[But I for Jesu's Spirit pray]

This man went unto Pilate, and begged, &c. —xxiii. 52.

But I for Jesu's Spirit pray,
Which Thou, O God, alone canst give:
Send Him to take my sins away,
Send Him within my heart to live,
And join me to that Sacrifice
Which crowns of life for sinners buys.

	CHAPTER XXIII. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXIII.

1558.

[If charged the holy Jesus be]