The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

But who in Jesus' spirit join
They entertain a nobler Guest.
Who meet and marry in the Lord,
Bless'd as the first unspotted pair,
They find their paradise restored,
And Purity Himself is there.

1642.

[They, only they, the Lord invite]

Both Jesus was called, and His disciples. —ii. 2.

They, only they, the Lord invite
Their hallow'd nuptials to attend
Who seek in Him their chief delight,
Their Bridegroom and celestial Friend;
Who ask His love their feast to crown,
In wrestling faith their wants declare,
And bring the blissful Spirit down
By all the powers of humble prayer.

They bid the Lord's disciples too,
Who marry as His saints approve,
Expose their hearts to open view,
Set on the' eternal things above.
Who not with flesh and blood confer,
But counsel with the faithful take,
And call the church their bliss to share,
And love them all for Jesus' sake.

How fatal and unlike to these
The world's alliances profane,
Where sinners match themselves to please,
And lust and foul intemperance reign.
By avarice or ambition join'd,
They banish God from all their thought,
And madly cast His fear behind,
While Mammon ties the hellish knot.

334

1643.

[Our real want of needful food]

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to, &c. —ii. 4.

Our real want of needful food
We still may represent to God
With true simplicity:
Saviour, Thou dost with smiles approve
Our humble confidence of love
Which all expects from Thee.

Yet must we not presume to know
Or tell Thee when Thy grace to show,
Thy benefits to give;
But trusting in Thy mercy's power,
The manner and appointed hour
Unto Thy wisdom leave.

Then let us urge our meek request,
Nature's anticipating haste
With patient faith forego,
Assured Thou wilt Thy people feed,
And outward and immortal bread
In Thy own time bestow.

1644.

[Reproved she answers not a word]

His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever, &c. —ii. 5.

Reproved she answers not a word,
But waiting on her heavenly Lord
Her confidence holds fast,
With faith increased the check receives,
He will, she fully now believes,
Do His own work at last.

1645.

[When wine they want the' almighty Lord]

Jesus saith, . . . Fill the waterpots. —ii. 7.

When wine they want the' almighty Lord
Water instead of wine demands:
He both created by His word,
Nothing His sovereign will withstands:

335

And every year in every vine
He changes water into wine.

Annex'd to means improbable
Thy blessing, Lord, we oft perceive,
Who, when Thou dost Thy mind reveal
Thy word implicitly believe,
And do what Thou art pleased to' ordain,
And thus a greater blessing gain.

1646.

[Call'd to the marriage of the Lamb]

Thou hast kept the good wine until now. —ii. 10.

Call'd to the marriage of the Lamb
Jehovah in our flesh we see;
To' espouse His church from heaven He came,
The great stupendous mystery
Made by His incarnation known,
And join'd our nature to His own.

Under Thy shade, O Christ, we sing,
Partakers of Thy nuptial feast;
Thou hast reserved the better thing
To cheer Thy every welcome guest,
To gladden all the faithful race
With the good wine of gospel grace.

Now, in the end of time reveal'd,
Thy choicest, sweetest grace we prove,
And fill'd with Thee our souls are fill'd
With purity of perfect love,
Of love unknown in ages past
Kept in Thy heart to crown the last.

Thou dost in closest bonds unite
Our souls, incorporate with Thee,
We antedate the full delight
The saints' supreme felicity,

336

Flesh of Thy flesh, bone of Thy bone,
With Thee inseparably one.

Thy saints in holiness complete
Consummated in rapturous love,
Shall at Thy side triumphant sit,
And keep the marriage-feast above,
And when Thy blissful face we view
We drink the wine for ever new.

1647.

[To change the soul's ignoble taste]

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana, &c. —ii. 11.

To change the soul's ignoble taste,
To' inspire the hope of things Divine,
Of pleasures pure which always last,
And change our water into wine,
Jesus at first His grace exerts,
And heavenward turns our earthly hearts.

Changed the strong bent of nature's will
With joy and wonder we confess,
New hopes, desires, sensations feel,
Hunger and thirst for righteousness,
And worship that incarnate Word,
And see that Glory of the Lord.

1648.

[Not the desires of men to please]

Not the desires of men to please
Thou dost Thy first of wonders show,
But sent from heaven our earth to bless,
Jehovah manifest below,
Thou dost Thy peerless power display,
And faith's eternal basis lay.

This demonstration of Thy grace,
This proof of Thy Divinity,
Saviour, in every age and place
Convinced Thy true disciples see,

337

Built on the rock that cannot move,
The truth of Thine almighty love.

Who changes water into wine
Can sinners into saints convert:
Thy grace omnipotent, Divine,
I trust to make me as Thou art,
To form my heart averse from sin,
And bid mine inmost soul be clean.

The virtue of Thy perfect love
This soul shall to the utmost save,
And when my hidden Life above
Appears, my Ransom from the grave,
This body vile shall mount Thy throne,
And shine immortal as Thine own.

1649.

[If all who holy things profane]

He drove them all out of the temple. —ii. 15.

If all who holy things profane
Out of the Christian church were driven,
Alas, how few would there remain
To' adore the majesty of heaven!

1650.

[More odious than the birds and beasts]

Take these things hence. —ii. 16.

More odious than the birds and beasts,
Creatures required for sacrifice,
Are careless crowds and worldly priests
Who now provoke Thy glorious eyes,
Profane the temple of the Lord,
And sell the prayer, the psalm, the word.

1651.

[Our fervent zeal for God to show]

The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up. —ii. 17.

Our fervent zeal for God to show,
We must not with our meekness part,
Or lukewarm and indifferent grow,
To prove our gentleness of heart:

338

Meekness and zeal in Jesus join'd,
In saints begotten from above,
Compose, and fill the Christian mind
With purest flames of perfect love.

Saviour, I want that ardent zeal
Which in Thy heavenly bosom glow'd,
That strong desire to do the will,
And serve the family of God:
Into my heart Thy Spirit of grace,
Of love, and true devotion pour,
To fill the consecrated place,
And all my ravish'd soul devour.

1652.

[Jesus' soul and body are]

He spake of the temple of His body. —ii. 21.

Jesus' soul and body are
The true temple of the Lord,
Come we, then, and worship there
God in the incarnate Word!
There the pure religion lies,
Dwells the Father in the Son,
And who reigns above the skies
God is found in Christ alone.

Very man of very man,
Temple of the Deity,
Whom the heavens cannot contain,
Bow our inmost souls to Thee.
Exiles while on earth we mourn,
Captives in a world of care,
All our thoughts to Thee we turn,
Every wish, and every prayer.

Prostrate now the shrine before
Join we in Thy Spirit's cry,

339

Our Immanuel adore,
Wait Thy coming from the sky:
Come and fix the temple here,
All Thy majesty reveal,
With Thy glorious scars appear,
Heaven and earth with glory fill.

1653.

[Jesus, Thou know'st what is in man]

Many believed in His name, . . . but Jesus, &c. —ii. 23, 24.

Jesus, Thou know'st what is in man,
So false, and changeable, and vain:
If now we in Thy name believe,
If Thee this moment we receive,
The next we cast our faith away,
And basely our dear Lord betray.

Thou canst not to our keeping trust
Thy grace, no sooner gain'd than lost:
But that we may in Thee confide,
With us continually abide,
A people for Thyself prepare,
And keep our hearts by reigning there.

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER II.

1641.

[Mother of Purity Divine]