The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

His disciples sincere,
We have nothing to fear,
Though our Master was slain,
He died for our sins, and He liveth again!
He is risen indeed,
Our life-giving Head,
We remember His word,
And arise in the power of our heavenly Lord.

His promises kind
He brings to our mind,
His Spirit imparts,
And the meaning explains to our sensible hearts:
With joy we approve
The design of His love,
The necessity see
Of His passion on earth, and His death on the tree.

The justice of God
Demanded His blood
For our sins to atone;
And exalted Him then to a share of His throne;
That the God of all grace
His members might raise,
From the sepulchre freed
And eternally join'd to our glorified Head.

1588.

[Weaken'd when our faith we find]

They talked together of all these things, &c. —xxiv. 14.

Weaken'd when our faith we find,
Faint our hope through long delay,
Let us call His death to mind,
Talk of Jesus by the way:

307

Thus our faith and hope revive,
Thus His Spirit its power exerts,
Jesus shows Himself alive,
Love rekindles in our hearts.

1589.

[Jesu's charity adore!]

While they communed together . . . Jesus, &c. —xxiv. 15.

Jesu's charity adore!
Raised again, the Shepherd good
Manifests His mercy's power,
Seeks His sheep dispersed abroad:
Lord to us Thyself unite,
Us in all our ways attend,
Always near, and still in sight,
Till our earthly journey end.

1590.

[Mine eyes are holden too]

Their eyes were holden that they should not, &c. —xxiv. 16.

Mine eyes are holden too:
Till open'd Lord, by Thee,
(Whom once imperfectly I knew,)
I neither know nor see:
Or if reveal'd Thou art,
Thou vanishest away;
But when Thou purifiest my heart,
Thou wilt for ever stay.

1591.

[And still we trust in Thee]

We trusted that it had been He which, &c. —xxiv. 21.

And still we trust in Thee
The' eternal Son of God,
Thou wilt from all iniquity
Redeem us by Thy blood:
The men of heart sincere
Thy blood shall sanctify,
Restore to Thy full image here,
And speak us to the sky.

308

1592.

[How foolish is my heart]

O fools, and slow of heart to believe all, &c. —xxiv. 25.

How foolish is my heart,
How tardy to believe
That Thou so kind a Saviour art,
So ready to forgive,
When all Thy prophets say
Thou shouldst for sinners die,
And rising point us out the way,
And lift us to the sky!

1593.

[Nature attempts and hopes in vain]

Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, &c. —xxiv.26.

Nature attempts and hopes in vain
The' inevitable cross to shun,
That sacred path of grief and pain
Which led the Saviour to His throne,
To find a wider gate she tries,
A broader way to paradise.

Through sufferings our exalted Head
His height of glorious bliss attain'd,
Through sufferings all His members led,
His martyrs all, the summit gain'd,
Trusting in His and not their own
They echoed back His final groan.

Jesus, my trust is in Thy name,
For pardon, holiness, and heaven;
All merit I, but Thine, disclaim,
Thy cross, Thy crown are freely given;
And Thou, whose blood hath purged my guilt,
Shall save me when and as Thou wilt.

1594.

[The Scriptures all with Christ are fill'd]

He expounded unto them in all the scriptures, &c. —xxiv. 27.

The Scriptures all with Christ are fill'd,
With Jesus, and His will to save,

309

His birth and death are there reveal'd,
His rise and triumph o'er the grave,
His kingdom come in gracious power,
His reign when time shall be no more.

Jesus, Divine Interpreter,
To me Thine oracles unseal,
Then shall I find and taste Thee there,
Thy truth, and power, and mercy feel,
And nothing know, and nothing see
In all the book of God but Thee.

To me that Spirit of wisdom give
Who doth in all Thy members breathe,
Thy sinless life I then shall live,
And daily die Thy blessed death,
Fix'd in my heart Thy kingdom own,
And rise to Thine eternal throne.

1595.

[Will my Lord be so unkind]

He made as though He would have gone further. —xxiv. 28.

Will my Lord be so unkind,
Leave an halting soul behind,
My Companion in the way
Leave me at the close of day?
Farther though Thou seem to go,
Yet Thy secret mind I know,
And Thou never wilt depart:
Have I not explain'd Thy heart?

1596.

[Thee let Thy own love constrain]

They constrained Him, saying, Abide with, &c. —xxiv. 29.

Thee let Thy own love constrain
With Thy followers to remain,
Now the shades of night are near,
Do not Saviour, disappear:

310

With us still vouchsafe to' abide,
Through the dreary valley guide,
On Thyself our spirits stay,
Bear us to eternal day.

1597.

[Thou didst forsake Thy throne above]

Did not our heart burn within us, while, &c. —xxiv. 32.

Thou didst forsake Thy throne above,
To bring on earth the fire of love,
By telling who Thou art:
Jesus, Thy word is as a fire,
And spreads the flame of strong desire
Through every faithful heart.

While in this wilderness we stray,
Talk with us, Saviour, by the way,
The things concerning Thee
In Thine own oracles reveal,
And warm our frozen hearts, and fill
With fervent charity.

Now, in Thy Spirit of burning come,
And all our sins as dross consume,
With purity Divine:
With love seraphical inspire,
And kindle here a heavenly fire
Which shall for ever shine.

1598.

[To Thy poor unfaithful creature]

The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared, &c. —xxiv. 34.

To Thy poor unfaithful creature,
Jesus show Thyself alive,
Thou who didst appear to Peter,
Now to me repentance give;

311

Me who have by sin denied Thee,
Author of Thy mortal smart,
Oft afresh have crucified Thee,
Turn, and look, and break my heart.

While with tears of true contrition
I my grievous falls deplore,
Pity my forlorn condition,
Lift me up to sin no more;
By Thy glorious resurrection,
Thou my twice-dead spirit raise,
Quicken'd with Divine affection,
Fill'd with all the life of grace.

1599.

[Captain, God of our salvation]

He was known of them in breaking of bread. —xxiv. 35.

Captain, God of our salvation
Bought so dear on Calvary,
While we call to mind Thy passion,
Thou for good remember me:
In the bread for sinners broken
Thou mine unbelief remove,
Give my trembling heart a token
Of Thy free redeeming love.

That my fears may all be over,
May with sin for ever cease,
To a drooping soul discover
Thou art still my Life, my Peace;
Take away this inward blindness,
That I may my Saviour know,
Conscious of Thy loving-kindness,
Hold, and never let Thee go.

312

1600.

[While we of His mysteries]

As they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood, &c. —xxiv. 36.

While we of His mysteries
Discourse with humble fear,
In the midst of us He is,
And Jesus will appear,
Will remove our sad distress,
By mercy's comfortable voice,
Speak the words of life and peace,
And bid our hearts rejoice.

Lord, Thou dost Thy followers seek,
Where'er dispersed they stray,
Cheer the faint, confirm the weak,
And by Thy presence stay:
Thee the Shepherd good and kind
Before our eyes of faith we see,
Peace the seal of pardon find,
And heavenly joy in Thee.

1601.

[Open mine eyes of faith to see]

Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I, &c. —xxiv. 39.

Open mine eyes of faith to see
Thy hands and feet transfix'd and torn,
So shall I know that Thou art He
Who hast my sins and sorrows borne,
The Man that on the mountain bled,
And rose my Surety from the dead.

O could I now behold my Lord,
Discern and touch the Crucified,
Adore the true immortal Word,
And thrust my hand into Thy side,
And feel that Thou my Saviour art;
Whose blood is sprinkled on my heart!

313

1602.

[Sometimes the faith, at once bestow'd]

They yet believed not for joy. —xxiv. 41.

Sometimes the faith, at once bestow'd,
Unfolds itself by slow degrees,
And thus the heavenly gift of God
More clearly the receiver sees,
Convinced his grace is not his own,
Glory he gives to God alone.

Fear, joy, astonishment oppose
The truth of Christ to life restored,
But these and every mountain flows
Before the presence of the Lord,
When Jesus His own Spirit imparts
To' attest His rising in our hearts.

1603.

[None that is not taught by Thee]

Then opened He their understanding, &c. —xxiv. 45.

None that is not taught by Thee
Can Thine oracles declare,
Thou hast, Lord, the sacred key,
Thou Thine own interpreter
Dost by inspiration give
The true sense by God design'd,
Teach us rightly to conceive
All Thy gracious Father's mind.

Open then our minds and hearts
Thy own word to understand,
Write it in our inward parts
Every promise and command,
All Thine acceptable will
Let us by Thy Spirit prove,
Through His energy fulfil
The whole counsel of Thy love.

314

1604.

[What but mercy could impose]

Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to, &c. —xxiv. 46.

What but mercy could impose
The strange necessity?
Jesus, Lover of Thy foes,
Thy death hath set us free;
Thou hast suffer'd in our stead:
Thy rising and return to heaven
Proves the general debt is paid,
And all mankind forgiven.

Christ to suffer it behoved
By the decree of God,
Guilt could only be removed
Through His atoning blood:
Justice must be satisfied,
Or mercy never could take place:
Christ embraced the terms, and died,
And ransom'd all our race.

Thus, to save us it became
The Majesty Divine;
Thus to magnify His name
All His perfections join:
Truth and love His throne maintain,
And righteousness and grace agree,
Meet in the redeeming plan
With perfect harmony.

1605.

[Preach repentance in His name]

Repentance and remission of sins should, &c. —xxiv. 47.

Preach repentance in His name,
Preach forgiveness in His blood,
Then ye may His presence claim,
Then ye preach the word of God:
Empty all beside and vain,
Not the word of God, but man.

315

1606.

[Jesus, succeed our ministry]

Jesus, succeed our ministry,
And prove the virtues of Thy name:
Thee, Giver of repentance, Thee
Giver of pardon we proclaim:
Thyself of unbelief convince
Whome'er we to repentance call,
And then, to cancel all their sins,
Assure them Thou hast died for all.

1607.

[Sinners, a pardon I proclaim]

Beginning at Jerusalem. —xxiv. 47.

Sinners, a pardon I proclaim
Offer'd to all in Jesu's name;
But know, the wickedest and worst
Shall have the gracious offer first.

1608.

[Witnesses of Jesu's death]

Ye are witnesses of these things. —xxiv. 48.

Witnesses of Jesu's death
And resurrection we,
Dead to sin, believe and breathe
His Spirit of purity;
Quicken'd by our living Head
We rise and seek the things above,
Walk as Jesus walk'd, and lead
The life of holy love.

Witness of Thy death am I,
Who daily die with Thee,
I Thy rising testify
Who feel Thy life in me;
Penitent I dare proclaim
Thou dost the contrite grace impart,
Preach forgiveness in Thy name
Who find it in my heart.

316

1609.

[He lifts the hands stretch'd out so late]

He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. —xxiv. 50.

He lifts the hands stretch'd out so late,
And nail'd to the accursed tree,
Which bore His sacred body's weight
With all our sin and misery;
The hands from which our blessings flow,
Which every creature's wants supply;
Fountains of grace to all below,
They hold, and bear us to the sky.

Those hands on which my hopes depend
My present and eternal peace,
Lift up, and over me extend,
To guard, and sanctify and bless;
Bless me from Thy celestial throne,
With more than heart can e'er conceive,
And seal, and take me for Thine own,
Thy purchase, in Thy joy to live.

1610.

[Parted in the act of blessing]

While He blessed them, He was parted, &c. —xxiv. 51.

Parted in the act of blessing,
Never shall His blessings stop:
Still for us He prays unceasing,
Still His hands are lifted up!
First the Comforter is given
Proof of His continued prayer;
Then He prays us up to heaven,
Blesses us for ever there.

1611.

[We worship our exalted Lord]

They worshipped Him, and returned, &c. —xxiv. 52, 53.

We worship our exalted Lord,
By all the heavenly hosts adored,
Jesus, our sacrifice receive,
And King of saints for ever live.

317

Thou dost from Thy disciples part,
To make us one with Thee in heart,
Thou art, O God, gone up on high,
To draw us after to the sky.

Our Captain and triumphant Head
Hath took possession in our stead,
Hath open'd and prepared our way
To mansions of eternal day.

Till Thou return to fetch Thy bride,
We at Jerusalem abide,
And life's important hour employ
In hymns of praise and solemn joy:

On Thee we in Thy temple wait
(The house of God, the heavenly gate)
In all the means Thy grace enjoin'd
The presence of Thy Spirit find.

With that acclaiming choir above
We glorify the God of love,
Extol the wonders of Thy grace,
And only live to pray and praise.

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXIV.

1587.

[His disciples sincere]