The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Wesley, Charles (1707-1788)

VOLUME I.

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

XI.

XII.

XIII.

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S. JOHN.

CHAPTER XIV.

2074

[Calmer of the troubled heart]

Let not your heart be troubled. —xiv. 1.

Calmer of the troubled heart,
Bid my unbelief depart,
Speak, and all my sorrows cease,
Speak, and all my soul is peace;
Comfort me, whene'er I mourn,
With the hope of Thy return,
And till I Thy glory see,
Bid me still believe in Thee.

2075

[Can we mourn as broken hearted]

In My Father's house are many mansions. &c. —xiv. 2.

Can we mourn as broken hearted,
We who hang upon Thy love,
Jesus for our sake departed
To Thy Father's house above?
Source of all our consolations,
There we our Forerunner see:
In those lasting habitations
Thou hast found a place for me.

All our hopes and souls we venture
On Thy never-failing word,
Sure into Thy joy to enter,
Sure to triumph with our Lord;
Though we fall into distresses,
Into countless trials fall,
When Thy love in death releases,
Heaven shall make amends for all.

2076.

[Thou who hast undertook our cause]

And if I go and prepare a place for you, &c. —xiv. 3.

Thou who hast undertook our cause,
Art fitting up the house of God;
The house was purchased on Thy cross,
And cost Thee all Thy sacred blood:
Our Head Thou didst arise again,
Our Harbinger go up on high,
And gifts receive for sinful men,
And pour Thy Spirit from the sky.

Thou hast enroll'd our names above,
Hast in our names possession took,
Who Thy Divine appearing love,
And for Thy final coming look:
Sure as Thou dost our place prepare,
Thou wilt with majesty come down,
And take us in that day to share
Thy joy, Thy glory, and Thy crown.

2077.

[Comfort of all believing hearts]

I will come again. —xiv. 3.

Comfort of all believing hearts,
Support of suffering saints below,
This is the word which life imparts,
And bears us through the vale of woe;

And trusting in their faithful Lord
To come again and fetch His bride,
Millions have lived upon this word,
And for this precious promise died.

2078.

[Imperfectly they knew]

Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. —xiv. 4.

Imperfectly they knew
Who but in part believed,
And Christ the living Way and true
Implicitly received;
Till Christ explain'd, increased
The faith Himself had given:
And then they openly confess'd,
And follow'd Him to heaven.

2079.

[We grossly misconceive]

Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not, &c. —xiv. 5.

We grossly misconceive
The oracles Divine,
Till Thou an understanding give,
And in our darkness shine.
The gospel faith bestow,
Which doth Thy face display;
And then, O Lord, in Thee we know
The Life, the Truth, the Way.

2080.

[The Way to God Thou art]

I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. —xiv. 6.

The Way to God Thou art;
O might I walk in Thee!
The Truth, Thy light impart,
And make Thy servant free;
The Life of grace Thyself reveal,
And then my soul with glory fill.

By Thy example Lord,
Show us Thyself the Way:

The Truth by Thy own word
Into our hearts convey,
The Life by Thy own grace bestow,
And then in Thee our God we know.

2081.

[By faith we walk in Thee]

By faith we walk in Thee
The Way, the Truth of grace,
And full felicity
By steadfast hope embrace;
And Thee the' eternal Life approve,
The only Object of our love.

We out of Thee, the Way
No end of wandering find;
Without the Truth we stray
In sin and error blind;
Without the Life as dead appear,
And hell must be our sepulchre.

2082.

[Our heart hath lost by sin]

Our heart hath lost by sin
The life of righteousness,
Our mind is dark within,
And wants the light of grace,
Our senses miss the creature-road,
Which should conduct us back to God.

But lo, in Christ alone
Again the Way we see
To God and heaven made known
Through His humanity
Again the Truth His light imparts,
And Christ the Life revives our hearts.

2083.

[Thee Jesus we confess]

Thee Jesus we confess
Our Advocate and Friend,

Truth of the promises,
And joys which ne'er shall end,
Our Principle and Head receive,
By whom alone Thy members live.

Who wilfully refuse
The Life, the Truth, the Way,
Deserve themselves to lose
And in delusion stray,
Deprived of grace while here they breathe,
And then to die the endless death.

But O the Way came down
Our wandering souls to seek,
The Truth of light unknown
Did in our darkness speak,
And lest we should in death abide,
The Life Himself for sinners died.

Now in the Way we go
Who Christ by faith receive,
By faith the Truth we know,
By faith the Life we live,
On Jesu's cross to heaven ascend,
Where faith in Jesu's sight shall end.

2084.

[The great Invisible, unknown]

No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. —xiv. 6.

The great Invisible, unknown
In darkness inaccessible,
Jehovah's co-eternal Son,
Thou only dost to man reveal,
And through the fountain of Thy blood
Bring back a rebel world to God.

Author of our salvation, Thee
Author of faith our hearts confess,

Through Thy atonement on the tree
Bold we approach the throne of grace,
And find Thy name to sinners given
Saves us from hell, and lifts to heaven.

Thy Father's mind through Thee we know,
His image with His grace retrieve,
To Him we in Thy footsteps go,
His hidden life in Thee we live,
And led by Thy good Spirit we move
To see His open face above.

2085.

[Me, me, Thou justly may'st upbraid]

Have I been so long time with you, and yet, &c. —xiv. 9.

Me, me, Thou justly may'st upbraid:
Even from my earliest infancy
Thou hast with Thy frail creature stay'd,
Yet still, O Lord, I know not Thee;
My Saviour unreveal'd Thou art,
Unfelt this moment in my heart.

With me, I find, Thou still dost dwell,
For unconsumed on earth I live,
I am not with the fiends in hell,
But wait Thy Spirit to receive,
Who makes Thy heavenly Father known,
And shows that God and Thou art One.

O wouldst Thou now Thy Spirit breathe,
And bid my unbelief depart,
The peace Thou didst to me bequeath,
The pardon speak into my heart,
And let me now my Father see,
The Image of my God in Thee.

Sufficient is that sight alone
To answer all my wishes here;

Come then, and make Thy Godhead known,
As crucified for me appear,
Be Thou set forth before mine eyes,
I ask no other paradise.

2086.

[Who shall make the Father known]

Believest Thou not that I am in the Father, &c. —xiv. 10.

Who shall make the Father known,
The absolute I AM,
One in essence with the Son,
In person not the same!
Reason at the mystery reels
Which faith presumes not to declare;
Each in each for ever dwells,
And yet distinct they are.

Everything the Son receives
With being from the Sire,
All He is the Father gives
Yet is not chief or prior;
What He gives He still retains,
And with His unbeginning Son
Consubstantial God He reigns
Through endless ages one.

2087.

[That Thou art God Most-High]

Believe Me that I am in the Father, &c. —xiv. 11.

That Thou art God Most-High
Thy actions testify,
Proof Divine Thy wonders give,
Lives the Father in the Son,
Thou dost in the Father live,
Both inexplicably one.

Yet must I more desire,
And different proof require;

Sovereign, everlasting Lord,
If almighty love Thou art,
Speak the soul-convincing word,
Fix the Witness in my heart.

Then shall my actions show
That God resides below,
In His genuine children seen,
By His Spirit's traits display'd;
He who seals the sons of men
Makes the members like their Head.

2088.

[Jesus to Thy Father gone]

He that believeth on Me, the works that I do, &c. —xiv. 12.

Jesus to Thy Father gone,
Thou hast Thy suit obtain'd,
Sent the' almighty Spirit down,
And power for man ordain'd;
Ampler power Thy servants show'd
Than that Thou didst Thyself display,
Thee declared the' eternal God,
And taught the world to' obey.

Thou didst by Thy garment's hem
The body's plague expel,
The believer in Thy name
Could by His shadow heal;
In Thy name the twelve went forth,
To work the works by Thee design'd,
Spake with tongues, proclaim'd Thy worth,
And conquer'd all mankind.

Still Thou dost Thine arm reveal,
Thy power and goodness spread,
Sinsick souls the faithful heal,
And daily raise the dead:

Still in every age and place
The men whom Thou art pleased to send
Work the greater works of grace,
And work till time shall end.

2089.

[Jesus I Thy merits plead]

And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, &c. —xiv. 13.

Jesus I Thy merits plead,
Who didst my nature take,
Whatsoe'er Thou know'st I need
I ask it for Thy sake:
Do the thing my case requires;
(My helpless case to Thee is known;)
Satisfy Thine own desires,
And take me to Thy throne.

All this mountain load remove
Of guilt and misery,
That Thy Father's power and love
May shine display'd in Thee:
Fit my soul with Thee to live
Who hast for my salvation died;
Then Thou shalt the praise receive,
And God be glorified.

2090.

[Lord, I ask it in Thy name]

If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will, &c. —xiv. 14.

Lord, I ask it in Thy name,
To be preserved from sin,
Keep me free from actual blame,
Till I am pure within:
Lord, I ask a farther grace,
A kingdom in the realms above;
Bring me to that heavenly place,
And crown me with Thy love.

2091.

[Strangers to Thy love are they]

If ye love Me, keep My commandments. —xiv. 15.

Strangers to Thy love are they
Who call it bondage to obey:

Be it our delight to prove,
Obedience is the truth of love;
Love which no compulsion knows,
But freely from the Fountain flows,
Returns spontaneous to the skies,
Pure as the streams of paradise.

2092.

[Jesus Thy weakest followers here]

I will pray the Father, and He shall give, &c. —xiv. 16.

Jesus Thy weakest followers here,
On whom Thou kindly hast bestow'd
A principle of pious fear,
A heart to seek our joy in God:
This smallest seed of love unfeign'd
We surely have received from Thee,
And tempted with our Lord remain'd,
And hoped Thine utmost word to see.

While feebly in Thy paths we tread,
And most imperfectly obey,
Thy goodness and Thy truth we plead,
And for the promised Blessing pray:
Our day of Pentecost is nigh,
Yet still it is not fully come,
Till Thy good Spirit descend from high
To make us His eternal home.

Upon Thy faithful mercies stay'd,
We hold the precious promise fast
To us and to our children made,
To all as long as time shall last;
That Spirit purchased by Thy blood,
That Spirit granted to Thy prayer,
Is daily on Thy church bestow'd,
The saints' abiding Comforter.

Father who always hear'st our Friend
And Advocate before Thy throne,
Vouchsafe that Paraclete to send,
That Spirit of Thy spotless Son;
Ah give Him in our hearts to dwell,
To fill with life, and love, and peace,
To constitute, and fix, and seal
Our present and eternal bliss.

2093.

[With us we know He dwells]

He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. —xiv. 17.

With us we know He dwells,
The Spirit of our Lord,
For still His counsels He reveals,
Interpreting His word:
To us the promise made
We still through Him receive,
And trust, the Spirit of our Head
Shall in His members live.

His present power controls
The flesh which lusts within,
Keeps down the rebel in our souls,
And holds us back from sin:
He visits us unsought,
And freely doth inspire
Our hearts with every serious thought
And every good desire.

He gives the grace unknown,
Helps our infirmity,
And groans the' unutterable groan
And pleads the' effectual plea:
Our God is pleased to hear,
And streaming from above
The Father, Son, and Comforter
Fills all our hearts with love.

Come then, celestial Guest,
Into Thy temple come,
Take full possession of the breast
That pants to be Thy home:
Spring up, Thou living Well,
Thou Lord of life Divine,
And now Thy humble mansion seal
Through endless ages Thine.

2094.

[Fountain of life, I gasp for Thee!]

Because I live, ye shall live also. —xiv. 19.

Fountain of life, I gasp for Thee!
Thy streams of immortality
Into my soul derive:
Now let me live the life of grace,
And when complete in holiness,
The life of glory live.

2095.

[Be it according to Thy word]

Be it according to Thy word;
Jesus our living quickening Lord,
To Thee our all we owe;
Thy rising is the cause of ours,
And fills our souls with heavenly powers,
When Thee we truly know.

2096.

[That happiest day I long to see]

At that day ye shall know that I am in My, &c. —xiv. 20.

That happiest day I long to see,
To fathom the great mystery,
And by Thy Spirit know
That Thou dost in Thy Father dwell,
One God incomprehensible
But by the church below.

Thy members with Thyself are one,
Flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone,
Who didst our nature take;

And when Thou hast Thy Spirit shed,
Assured that Thou art man indeed,
We here Thy body make.

In Thee we then are creatures new,
And testify that Thou art true
And dost Thy Spirit give;
Thy nature, image, mind impart,
And still in every faithful heart
Our hope of glory live.

Conscious of the indwelling God,
We feel Thy love diffused abroad,
Thy perfect love reveal'd:
Come is our day of Pentecost,
And Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
His spotless church hath fill'd.

2097.

[Happy soul whom Jesus chooses]

He that hath My commandments, &c. —xiv. 21.

Happy soul whom Jesus chooses,
Loving servant of his Lord!
Love obedience true produces,
Love shall bring its own reward:
To His most imperfect lover,
Him who just begins to know,
Jesus will Himself discover,
All the depths of Godhead show.

For that farther revelation
Humbly Lord, I wait on Thee;
Visit with Thy great salvation,
Show Thine utmost love to me;
Make Thy goodness pass before me,
With Thy heavenly Father one,

In my heart display Thy glory,
Then translate me to Thy throne.

2098.

[O that we might the Spirit find]

He shall teach you all things. —xiv. 26.

O that we might the Spirit find
By Jesu's grace bestow'd,
Which leads us into all the mind,
And all the things of God!
Come, Holy Ghost, Thy power display,
And teach us all in one,
Teach us in Christ the living Way
To God's eternal throne.

2099.

[Greater than the Son, as man]

For My Father is greater than I. —xiv. 28.

Greater than the Son, as man,
The Father we confess;
Neither Son nor Father can
As God be more or less:
From eternity the Word,
The God supreme we worship Thee
Jesus, with Thy Sire adored
To all eternity.

2100.

[Faith we surely know and feel]

And now I have told you before it come to, &c. —xiv. 29.

Faith we surely know and feel
The end of prophecies,
Trusting Thee who didst foretell
Thine own triumphant rise,
Confident the hour will come
When we the promised life shall gain;
After Thee forsake the tomb,
And in Thy kingdom reign.

2101.

[Jesus fill'd with sanctity]

And hath nothing in Me. —xiv. 30.

Jesus fill'd with sanctity,
Sanctity itself Thou art!
Nought of evil is in Thee,
Nought that takes the tempter's part:
Satan came in vain to find
Aught in Thee he call'd his own;
Pure in life and heart and mind,
Sinless Thou, and Thou alone.

Saviour, take my sins away,
All my sinfulness remove,
Bid me always watch and pray,
Fill'd with faith and purest love:
Keep possession of my breast,
Thou my true perfection be;
Satan then may still molest,
Nothing shall he find in me.

2102.

[Anointed, sent from Him]

But that the world may know that I love the Father. —xiv. 31.

Anointed, sent from Him
Saviour, Thou didst fulfil
Thy great commission to redeem,
And do the Father's will;
Hereby Thy heart we know
Who didst our griefs sustain,
And unto death obedient, show
Thy love for God, and man.

2103.

[At Thy command we rise]

Arise, let us go hence. —xiv. 31.

At Thy command we rise,
And hence depart with Thee,
Strong in the strength Thy cross supplies
We walk to Calvary;

With Thy obedience meet
The summons from above,
And like our Lord, by death complete
Our sacrifice of love.

CHAPTER XV.

2104.

[If grafted into Thee, the Vine]

Every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it. —xv. 2.

If grafted into Thee, the Vine,
I bring forth fruit, the praise is Thine:
But use Thy sin-retrenching power,
Prune me that I may bring forth more;
That through Thy Spirit's grace, I may
The truth with all my heart obey.

Kindly Thou dost chastise, reprove,
The objects of Thy choicest love,
That thus we may Thy mind express,
Partakers of Thy holiness,
May meekly all Thy sufferings share,
And fruit unto perfection bear.

2105.

[The word of pardoning grace]

Now ye are clean through the word. —xv. 3.

The word of pardoning grace
If I have heard from Thee,
And did by faith embrace
And am from sin set free;
The word did then my change begin,
True holiness impart;
And still Thy Spirit works within,
And purifies my heart.

The reconciling word
Thy cleansing blood applied,
And trusting in my Lord
My soul is sanctified:
And if I still abide in Thee,
Thou wilt my faith increase,
And bless with spotless purity,
With perfect holiness.

2106.

[I will abide in Thee, my Lord]

Abide in Me. —xv. 4.

I will abide in Thee, my Lord,
Till life's extremest hour,
For Thou who gav'st the gracious word
Shalt give the gracious power:
And summon'd, with my friends above,
Thine open face to see,
An age of everlasting love
I shall abide in Thee.

2107.

[In Christ the holy One]

Abide in Me, and I in you. —xv. 4.

In Christ the holy One
We dwell by faith alone,
The holy One we feel
By faith in us doth dwell:
Communion doth from union flow,
Till God as we are known we know.

2108.

[Unless we faith receive]

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, &c. —xv. 4.

Unless we faith receive
And still to Jesus cleave,
Our God we cannot please
By fruits of righteousness,
Or work a work, or speak a word,
Or think a thought, without the Lord.

But freely justified
In Jesus we abide,
The Spirit's fruits we show,
In true experience grow;
Daily the sap of grace receive,
And more and more like Jesus live.

2109.

[Branches we could not be]

I am the vine, ye are the branches. —xv. 5.

Branches we could not be,
Unless we were in Thee,
But grafted in the Vine
By faith we now are Thine:
O may we still our faith retain,
And Thine eternally remain.

2110.

[Sin, unimproved by grace]

He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same, &c. —xv. 5.

Sin, unimproved by grace,
I never can confess;
Till Thou repentance give,
Sin I can never leave:
Till Thou the contrite wish inspire,
I never can Thyself desire.

Thee, Lord, and Thee alone
Author of faith I own;
Thee, Saviour, I confess
Giver of holiness,
Who only dost on man confer
Our souls' eternal Comforter.

While sever'd from the Root
I cannot bring forth fruit:
But to my Saviour join'd,
The same in heart and mind,
I wait in impotence to prove
The whole omnipotence of love.

2111.

[Stupendous mystery]

Stupendous mystery,
Thy people Lord with Thee,
The members with their Head
Throughout the earth dispread,
In mind and will and spirit join,
One Christ, one body, and one vine.

Thy grace our souls receives
And animates our lives,
The Spirit from Thee proceeds,
And sanctifies our deeds,
Prevents, and with His power attends,
And all in Thy great glory ends.

By virtue from the Root,
Thy branches bring forth fruit,
The hundred-fold increase
Of solid righteousness,
Till with Thy humbling Spirit fill'd,
The pure, the perfect love we yield.

2112.

[Join'd no longer to the tree]

Without Me ye can do nothing. —xv. 5.

Join'd no longer to the tree,
I nothing good can do,
Broken off, O Christ, from Thee,
Can nothing ill eschew,
Sever'd now through unbelief
The double impotence I feel,
Overwhelm'd with sin and grief,
And sinking into hell.

Pity, Lord, Thy creature's pain
And challenging for Thine,
Graft me in on Thee again,
The true immortal Vine:

Graft me in to part no more
Till love's maturest fruit I bear,
Then I reach the heavenly shore,
And bloom eternal there.

2113.

[Ah! wretched souls, who once in grace]

If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth, &c. —xv. 6.

Ah! wretched souls, who once in grace
Who one in Thee were truly Thine,
But left for sin Thy righteous ways,
And shipwreck made of faith Divine,
By unbelief broke off from Thee,
They die in their apostasy!

Among the branches found no more,
Deprived of faith and life and love,
Abandon'd to the tempter's power,
Vilest of all the' apostates prove,
The sorest punishment require,
Cast into that eternal fire.

Saviour, reverse my righteous doom
Fallen, alas, from pardoning grace,
Yet do not in Thy wrath consume,
But give me still a longer space,
And graft again into the Vine,
And keep my soul for ever Thine.

2114.

[While the power of faith I prove]

If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, &c. —xv. 7.

While the power of faith I prove,
I still abide in Thee,
While Thy words, O Lord, I love,
Thy words abide in me:
Strangely on my mind impress,
That thence they never may depart;
Grave the truth of righteousness
For ever on my heart.

Fruit of faith and charity,
The prevalence of prayer,
Prayer, which all obtains from Thee,
Abundant fruit shall bear:
Prayer its principle maintains,
The faith by which our spirit lives,
All Thy promises it gains,
And all Thy life receives.

Praying on for faith's increase
In every grace we grow,
Reach the finish'd holiness,
And to perfection go;
One with Thee by faith and love
We ask and have whate'er we will,
Till we from the vale remove,
And find Thee on the hill.

2115.

[What shall I ask but Thee?]

Ye shall ask what ye will. —xv. 7.

What shall I ask but Thee?
Thou, Lord, art all in one:
In time and in eternity,
I ask my God alone.

2116.

[Father, Thy name be sanctified!]

Herein is My Father glorified, that ye, &c. —xv. 8.

Father, Thy name be sanctified!
Thy nature to my soul declare,
So shall I in the Vine abide,
And fruit unto Thy glory bear;
A witness of redeeming grace,
O might I in Thy Spirit live,
Abound in works of righteousness;
And Thou shalt all the praise receive.

One only work on earth I have,
One only means Thy praise to show,
My own and others' souls to save
Is all my business here below:
I live Thy mercy's minister
Myself to second life restored,
A genuine child of God appear,
A true disciple of my Lord.

So let my light to others shine,
That they my works of faith may see,
With wonder own they are not mine,
But wrought by Thy great power in me:
The' effects of Thy triumphant grace
O might they all adore and prove,
And born again my Father praise,
The' almighty God of faithful love.

2117.

[He for Thy sake approves us]

As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved, &c. —xv. 9.

He for Thy sake approves us,
With grace Divinely free,
And still Thy Father loves us
As members, Lord, of Thee:
The cause of His election
Unsearchable we own,
And all our God's affection
Receive through Thee alone.

Thy love's an emanation
Of His to Thee above:
Before the world's foundation
Thou didst thy people love:
And whom Thou mak'st Thy dwelling
Thou surely wilt defend,
And by Thy Spirit's sealing
Preserve us to the end.

2118.

[Thee Jesus, I adore]

Continue ye in My love. —xv. 9.

Thee Jesus, I adore
Whose word doth strength ordain,
And trusting in Thy power,
I shall Thy love retain;
Continue in Thy favour
Till soul and body part,
If Thou my dearest Saviour
Continue in my heart.

2119.

[Obedience to our Lord must prove]

If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide, &c. —xv. 10.

Obedience to our Lord must prove
The truth and constancy of love,
By this our faithfulness is tried,
By this we in His love abide:
Submissive to the Father's will
He bids us His commands fulfil,
And joins in all He owns for His
Obedience and eternal bliss.

Jesus the true fidelity
The Spirit's fruits produce in me,
O let my life and heart confess
The' effects of Thine almighty grace,
That fill'd with faith which works by love,
And serving like Thy saints above,
My soul may gain the joy prepared
The fulness of Thine own reward.

2120.

[Thou didst rejoice to' obey]

These things have I spoken unto you, &c. —xv. 11.

Thou didst rejoice to' obey
Thy Father's utmost will:
Thy joy, O Lord, in us shall stay
Who Thy commands fulfil:
And when Thy will is done
By us like those above,

We find our heaven on earth begun
In pure obedient love.

The more like Thee we live,
The fuller joy is given,
We more abundant bliss receive,
And larger draughts of heaven:
Our confidence fill up
Till faith improves to sight;
And then we lose both faith and hope
In love's supreme delight.

2121.

[Jesus, that new command of Thine]

This is My commandment, That ye love one, &c. —xv. 12.

Jesus, that new command of Thine
I languish to obey:
The zeal of charity Divine
Into my heart convey,
That in and for my God alone
I may embrace, esteem,
And after Thee my life lay down,
The brethren to redeem.

2122.

[Greater love is not in man]

Greater love hath no man than this, &c. —xv. 13.

Greater love is not in man,
But greater is in God;
Life for sinners to regain
Jehovah sheds His blood,
Gives Himself a sacrifice,
His own most precious blood expends,
Freely for His foes He dies,
And turns them into friends.

2123.

[Who can the grace explain?]

Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I, &c. —xv. 14.

Who can the grace explain?
My God doth condescend
To call a worm, a man,
A sinful man His friend!

If answering His designs
With a true heart and free,
I do what He enjoins,
And doth Himself in me.

2124.

[No longer held by servile fear]

Henceforth I call you not servants; for, &c. —xv. 15.

No longer held by servile fear,
Thy pleasure we fulfil,
And principled with love sincere
Delight to do Thy will:
Thy will concerning us we know,
That daily crucified
Blameless we in Thy steps should go
To triumph at Thy side.

2125.

[To be Thy ministers above]

I have called you friends. —xv. 15.

To be Thy ministers above
Seraphic flames aspire,
But we by Thy redeeming love
We are exalted higher;
Our thoughts and praises it transcends
The love on men bestow'd;
We are the favourites and friends,
The bosom-friends of God.

2126.

[Thy friends instructed are by Thee]

All things that I have heard of My Father, &c. —xv. 15.

Thy friends instructed are by Thee,
Jehovah's only Son,
The secrets of eternity
Are to Thy church made known;
The unction doth in us abide,
In all through grace forgiven,
The Spirit is our inward guide,
And leads our souls to heaven.

2127.

[Thee we never could have chose]

Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you. —xv. 16.

Thee we never could have chose,
Dead in sins and trespasses:

But Thou hast redeem'd Thy foes,
Bought the universal peace,
That all our ransom'd race might prove
The sweetness of electing love.

2128.

[Jesus, dost Thou not ordain]

And ordained you, that ye should go, &c. —xv. 16.

Jesus, dost Thou not ordain
Us to go, and fruit to bear,
Fruit that always shall remain,
Souls that may Thy praise declare?
Sinners whom for Thee we win
Rescue them and still defend,
From the world, and hell, and sin
Save, and save them to the end.

2129.

[Father, in the powerful name]

That whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in, &c. —xv. 16.

Father, in the powerful name
Of Thy well-beloved Son
Hear us, who the promise claim,
Keep us, till our work is done,
Give the faith to persevere,
Give the patience to endure,
Hide our life till Christ appear;
Then our full reward is sure.

2130.

[Obedient to our Lord's command]

These things I command you, that ye love one, &c. —xv. 17.

Obedient to our Lord's command,
Join every heart and every hand
Of those who Jesus know
To' advance the kingdom of His grace,
To publish our Redeemer's praise,
And spread His love below.

O were we in Thy Spirit join'd!
One heart, one judgment, and one mind
To all Thy labourers give:

Unite us closer, Lord, to Thee,
That all may in Thy name agree,
And to Thy glory live:

That all may think and speak the same,
Jointly our common Lord proclaim,
Our mission fully prove,
Determined Thee alone to know,
And to Thy church the pattern show
Of pure primeval love.

2131.

[This is our consolation, Lord]

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me, &c. —xv. 18.

This is our consolation, Lord,
The world's fierce enmity
We bear, assured it first abhorr'd
And persecuted Thee:
Thy friends in every age and place
Are hated by Thy foe;
But if the scandal we embrace,
We shall the glory know.

2132.

[The hatred of our ancient foe]

If ye were of the world, the world would love, &c. —xv. 19.

The hatred of our ancient foe
Contentedly we bear,
And are not of the world we know,
And this themselves declare:
Their maxims we no more receive
As by their spirit led,
But faithfully to Jesus cleave,
And suffer with our Head.

As evil when they cast us out
And shun our company,
They will not suffer us to doubt
If we belong to Thee:
Saviour, whom they reject, disdain,
We find Thou dost approve,

And thus another mark obtain
Of Thine electing love.

2133.

[Reason and sense would fain forget]

Remember the word that I said unto you, &c. —xv. 20.

Reason and sense would fain forget
The cross-imposing word,
The servant is not more discreet,
Or greater than the Lord:
If Christ they persecuted here,
Their malice will pursue
His every saint and minister,
As sure as God is true.

In pagan times it might be so
The prudent world allow,
“But all the true religion know,
But all are Christians now.”
Christians in name, they vex and grieve
They persecute and kill
The men that would in Jesus live;
And all His words fulfil.

Because the truth they cannot bear
They hate its witnesses,
And all who live the gospel, share
The sanctified distress;
They will not, Lord, to Thine agree,
Who Satan's works approve,
And till they cease from hating Thee
Thy church they cannot love.

2134.

[The world our unrelenting foe]

But all these things will they do unto you, &c. —xv. 21.

The world our unrelenting foe,
May false pretences make,
But persecute Thy flock, we know,
And hate us for Thy sake:

Because our God they have not known,
They treat us with despite,
And by their cruel judgments, own
Our lives are in the right.

Yet will we not the world upbraid,
The infidels condemn:
Grace only hath the difference made
Betwixt our souls and them:
The grace which we may lose by pride,
May be on them bestow'd,
And when they feel Thy blood applied,
They know the pardoning God.

2135.

[Hadst Thou not come to Adam's race]

If I had not come and spoken unto them, &c. —xv. 22.

Hadst Thou not come to Adam's race,
And call'd them all to turn and live,
Offer'd Thy true sufficient grace
With power the pardon to receive,
They might have charged their death on Thee,
As reprobate by Thy decree.

But who Thy heavenly doctrine hear,
And view the wonders of Thy power,
Yet will not their Creator fear,
Or Thee their Saviour-God adore,
They must their wilful folly own,
Undone; but by themselves undone.

No colour for their sin they have,
Their stubborn infidelity:
Thou didst declare Thy will to save,
They will not Thy salvation see,
But from Thine arms of mercy fly,
And die, because resolved to die.

2136.

[Who to those gracious words of Thine]

If I had not done among them the works, &c. —xv. 24.

Who to those gracious words of Thine
Might sinless their assent refuse,
Soon as they saw Thy works Divine,
Condemn'd and left without excuse,
Their wilful unbelief they show'd,
And justly perish'd in their blood.

The world may thus our words deny,
Who pardon, or perfection claim;
But when our actions testify,
When all our lives declare the same,
They must the' authentic truth receive,
They must Thy witnesses believe.

2137.

[Is there such dire malignity]

They hated Me without a cause. —xv. 25.

Is there such dire malignity
And black ingratitude in man?
Such sin Satanical in me?
With grief and shame I own, I can
Vilest of fiends incarnate prove,
And hate a God whose name is Love.

My mind is hatred against God,
My life rebellion and despite
To Thee, who hast on me bestow'd
Thy Son, Thy soul's supreme delight,
Thus to remove my enmity
As causeless, as Thy love for me.

2138.

[Spirit of truth, the Comforter]

The Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the, &c. —xv. 26.

Spirit of truth, the Comforter,
Proceeding from the Father's throne,
Come, and Thine inward witness bear
Of Jesus, His eternal Son;

Him, the great uncreated Word,
Give me the God supreme to call,
Essence, I AM, Jehovah, Lord,
My God, who made, and died for all.

2139.

[Thy weak disciple I]

And ye also shall bear witness, because ye, &c. —xv. 27.

Thy weak disciple I,
Jesus, for years have been:
Thee let me testify
The Truth, that frees from sin,
The Wisdom from above,
The Life to mortals given,
The Power of perfect Love,
The Way to God in heaven.

CHAPTER XVI.

2140.

[Ye of the Christian sect]

These things have I spoken unto you, &c. —xvi. 1.

Ye of the Christian sect,
By faith to Jesus join'd,
No mercy or remorse expect,
No justice from mankind:
The world in every age
Their hate of Christ express,
And vent their anti-Christian rage
Against His witnesses.

But nothing shall offend,
Or turn out of the way
You that on Jesu's word depend,
And on His promise stay;

Forewarn'd, without surprise,
Without concern or fear,
Ye see the threatening storm arise,
Ye see your Saviour near.

Ye scorn the tyrants' frown,
And to their wrongs submit,
And let them spurn and tread you down
As clay beneath their feet:
Beneath their rage ye fall
The victory to obtain,
All things endure, to conquer all,
And die with Christ to reign.

2141.

[Saviour the time is come]

They shall put you out of the synagogues, &c. —xvi. 2.

Saviour the time is come,
And lo, as Thou hast said,
The spirit of persecuting Rome
Throughout the earth is spread.
With blind religious zeal
The formalists agree
Out of their churches to expel
The men that cleave to Thee.

Yet while Thou dost restrain
Their anger's last excess,
They dare not light their fires again,
Our numbers to increase:
Aware, that by our death
Thy church would growth receive,
They gnaw their tongues, and gnash their teeth,
And suffer us to live.

2142.

[The world, who know not God]

These things will they do unto you, because, &c. —xvi. 3.

The world, who know not God,
Must hate the men that do,

And live by faith in Jesu's blood,
And Jesu's tempers show:
And if the sons of night
Usurp the Christian name,
They still abhor the sons of light,
In every age the same.

Their ignorance, we find
The ground of enmity,
That hatred of the carnal mind
Against Thy church and Thee:
But warn'd by Thee our Lord,
We suffer all their ill,
Who every day deny Thy word,
And every day fulfil.

2143.

[The long-predicted things]

But these things have I told you, that when, &c. —xvi. 4.

The long-predicted things
Fulfill'd we daily find,
And bless the' accomplishment which brings
Thy sayings to our mind:
We thus our strength renew,
And more than conquerors prove,
Assured, O God, that Thou art true,
That Thou art Power and Love.

Opposed by earth and hell,
Their impotence we see,
The' infernal gates cannot prevail
Against Thy church and Thee:
The world we see o'erthrown,
The' accusing fiend subdued,
Triumphant through Thy word alone
Thy Spirit and Thy blood.

2144.

[Christ the times and seasons knows]

And these things I said not unto you, &c. —xvi. 4.

Christ the times and seasons knows
His counsels wise to give,
Grace He then on us bestows
His sayings to receive:
First His Godhead He reveals,
The Man who suffer'd in our stead
Then our sympathy foretells,
Our dying with our Head.

Followers of the Crucified,
His grace almighty prove,
First believe for you He died
And trust His faithful love:
Then expect the great distress,
Crush'd by the persecutor's power,
Jesu's patient mind possess,
And face the fiery hour.

2145.

[With the goods and ills below]

But now I go My way to Him that sent Me, &c. —xvi. 5.

With the goods and ills below
Entirely occupied,
Nothing we desire to know,
We nothing seek beside:
Till Thou kindly dost rebuke
Our careless infidelity;
Then to things unseen we look,
And ask, O Lord, for Thee.

Present with Thy people still,
And in Thy word Thou art,
Dost Thy precious Self reveal
To every praying heart;

While we faithfully inquire,
Thou dost our doubts and griefs remove,
God that answerest by fire,
The fire of heavenly love!

2146.

[The love of Jesu's cross how rare!]

But because I have said these things unto you, &c. —xvi. 6.

The love of Jesu's cross how rare!
We sadden its approach to see,
Afraid His sacred load to bear,
And trace His steps to Calvary:
Our dread to lose the goods below,
With fame, or friends, or ease, to part,
O'erwhelms the faithless soul with woe,
And fills with grief the selfish heart.

Sorrow may enter and remain;
A Christian heart it should not fill:
Saviour, in us it cannot reign,
Who bow submissive to Thy will:
Our faith and hope superior rise
And keep the struggling evil down,
Till fully saved we grasp the prize,
And through Thy cross obtain Thy crown.

2147.

[Can I gain by losing Thee?]

If I go not away, the Comforter will not come. —xvi. 7.

Can I gain by losing Thee?
Yes, if so my state require,
If mine own infirmity
Force Thee, Saviour, to retire:
For when I Thy absence mourn,
Poor with poverty Divine,
Then the Comforter's return
Speaks my Lord for ever mine.

2148.

[Spirit of truth, from Jesus come]

When He is come, He will convince the world, &c. —xvi. 8.

Spirit of truth, from Jesus come,
Accomplishing His word,
Smite the sinners that presume
In vain to call Him Lord:
Thou who only canst convince
The world and me of unbelief,
Show the root of all my sins,
And fill my heart with grief.

Give me now myself to know
An helpless infidel,
Stranger to that God below
Who did my sorrows feel:
Not one grain of faith have I,
Till Thou reveal the Saviour God,
Jesu's death for me apply,
And wash me in His blood.

2149.

[Holy Ghost, convince my heart]

Holy Ghost, convince my heart
Of Jesu's righteousness,
Counted just through His desert,
If I am saved by grace:
God appeased in Christ declare,
Our righteous Advocate above,
Speak in me His answer'd prayer,
And seal His dying love.

Open now my spirit's eyes
The' Invisible to see,
Christ the just, above the skies
Demanding life for me:
While His righteousness I claim,
Thyself demonstrate me forgiven,
Justified in Jesu's name,
And register'd in heaven.

2150.

[Spirit of true holiness]

Spirit of true holiness,
Thy last great work fulfil,
In my sinless soul express
The Father's righteous will;
With Thy heavenly nature come
And witness Christ in me reveal'd,
Satan and his works to doom,
And speak their ruin seal'd.

Cast the' usurper from his throne,
And utterly destroy,
Let Thy kingdom stand alone
In holy peace and joy;
Joy which none can take away,
Peace that never shall remove,
Holiness without alloy,
And pure millennial love.

2151.

[With milk Thou dost the infants feed]

I have yet many things to say unto you, &c. —xvi. 12.

With milk Thou dost the infants feed,
Meat to the strong believers give,
In season due, as each hath need
As each is able to receive;
Thou sow'st the seeds of truth sublime
In the dark heart of feeble man,
Thou know'st Thine own appointed time,
Thine own mysterious work to' explain.

Those many things at first unknown,
Thy Spirit shows us where to find
Not by tradition handed down,
By men corrupt, deceitful, blind:
The acts by Thine apostles wrought
Repeating on our hearts He seals,
The truths in their epistles taught,
And in the mystic book reveals.

2152.

[Holy Ghost, by Him bestow'd]

He shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you. —xvi. 15.

Holy Ghost, by Him bestow'd
Who suffer'd on the tree,
Take of my Redeemer's blood,
And show it unto me:
Witness with the blood Thou art,
Apply it to this soul of mine,
Now assure my sprinkled heart
It is the blood Divine.

2153.

[Master, I bow to Thy decree]

Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall, &c. —xvi. 20.

Master, I bow to Thy decree,
Sorrowful I am like Thee,
And keep the blessing given,
Happy an absent God to mourn,
But happier still, when Thy return
Shall bring the joys of heaven.

2154.

[Return, most gracious Lord, return]

I will see you again. —xvi. 22.

Return, most gracious Lord, return,
Our hearts' supreme delight!
Our hearts, that in Thine absence mourn
Shall triumph in Thy sight;
With Thee we shall a joy obtain
Which none can take away,
For when Thou show'st Thyself again
Thou wilt for ever stay.

2155.

[Father, I ask in Jesus' name]

Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My, &c. —xvi. 23.

Father, I ask in Jesus' name,
Most unworthy as I am
Thy blessing to receive;
Yet for my Saviour's sake alone
Thine only well-beloved Son
Thou wilt Thy Spirit give.

I have no right to ask Thy love,
But through Him who prays above
My Advocate with Thee,
Whose Spirit breathes into my breast
Desires which cannot be express'd,
And groans for grace in me.

Thou know'st my Mediator's mind,
Hear'st the Friend of all mankind
Who pleads before Thy throne,
The thing deserved by Jesus grant,
The only thing on earth I want,
And make Thy goodness known.

The Gift unspeakable Thou art,
Give Thyself into my heart
Mysterious One in Three,
And speak me by Thy presence seal'd,
With Father, Son, and Spirit fill'd
To all eternity.

2156.

[Nothing have we ask'd of Thee]

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name, &c. —xvi. 24.

Nothing have we ask'd of Thee,
Compared with what we want,
With Thy large benignity,
And readiness to grant:
Thou hast promised to bestow
Whate'er we in Thy name require:
Give us then Thyself to know,
Fulfil Thine own desire.

Power to pray and never cease
We in Thy name request,
Peace, inviolable peace,
And everlasting rest,

Plenitude of joy and love,
Till faith fill'd up can hold no more:
Then we join the hosts above,
And face to face adore.

2157.

[Saviour, Thou need'st not say]

At that day ye shall ask in My name, &c. —xvi. 26.

Saviour, Thou need'st not say
Thou wilt the Father pray:
More than words Thy kindness prove,
Showers of never-ceasing grace
Show that Thou art heard above,
Advocate for all our race.

Thy prayer the world sustains,
And keeps from hellish pains:
Blessings on the saints it sheds,
Living streams of righteousness,
Answers all Thy people's needs,
Fills their hearts with power and peace.

Thy prayer I daily feel
Seal'd with Thy Spirit's seal:
Yes, the Comforter I find
Helping mine infirmity,
Bringing all Thy words to mind,
Witnessing Thy love for me.

Through Him empower'd I am
To ask in Jesus' name:
Father, save for Jesus' sake
Thine, who would continue Thine,
Till I yield my spirit back,
Purchase dear of blood Divine.

2158.

[Father of Christ our Saviour]

For the Father Himself loveth you, because, &c. —xvi. 27.

Father of Christ our Saviour,
Thou hast Thy mercy show'd,

Received us into favour,
And shed Thy love abroad:
Thou only didst discover,
Jehovah from above;
And Him our heavenly Lover
We in Thy Spirit love.

Before the world's foundation
He from Thy bosom came,
The' eternal generation
Of Jesus we proclaim:
And every true believer
Thou for Thy child dost own,
And lovest us for ever,
As members of Thy Son.

2159.

[O Jesus, we adore Thee!]

I came forth from the Father, and am come, &c. —xvi. 28.

O Jesus, we adore Thee!
From all eternity,
There was no God before Thee;
There is no God but Thee:
Thee by Thine incarnation
Made manifest below,
The God of our salvation
The Son of Man we know.

Thy days of flesh are ended,
And to Thy Father's breast
Thou art again ascended,
In Thy own joy to rest:
Thy sanctifying Spirit
Thou wilt to us send down,
And we shall soon inherit
Thine everlasting throne.

2160.

[When Jesus imparts]

Lo, now speakest Thou plainly, and, &c. —xvi. 29, 30.

When Jesus imparts
The truth to our hearts,
And His sayings explains,
Not a shadow of doubt in our spirit remains;
The truth we confess,
The Interpreter bless,
Who disperses the night,
And dwell with our Lord in a region of light.

The' omniscient Lord
Thou unfoldest Thy word,
And preventing my prayer
Thou art pleased Thy unsearchable grace to declare:
Thy grace I receive
And with comfort believe,
And am sure Thou art He
Who from heaven came down to inhabit in me.

2161.

[Who doth indeed believe]

Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? &c. —xvi. 31, 32.

Who doth indeed believe
And now in Christ stands fast,
May fondly his own soul deceive,
And dream the danger pass'd;
May ignorantly think
He now has conquer'd all,
And boast secure on ruin's brink,
That he can never fall.

His consolation sweet
If Christ bestows on me,
It makes me ready to forget
My own infirmity;
Unless my Saviour near
A second grace impart,

And give me constantly to fear
This base unfaithful heart.

Ungrateful as I am
Thy favours I receive,
But call'd to suffer for Thy name
My gracious Master leave:
I dread to drink Thy cup,
When shame and pain are nigh,
Refuse to take Thy burden up,
And on Thy cross to die.

Rejecting Thy distress
I oft have Thee forsook:
But all my past unfaithfulness
Thou on Thyself hast took,
Hast bought for me the power,
The humble constancy,
To stand in every future hour
And live, and die with Thee.

2162.

[A soul by man forsaken]

Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. —xvi. 32.

A soul by man forsaken
May hang upon Thy cross,
For Thou hast undertaken
The friendless sinner's cause;
His comfort in affliction
That Thou regard'st Thine own,
And through Thy dereliction
He dwells with God alone.

My Lord by all deserted
Remembers the forlorn,
Binds up the broken-hearted,
And blesses those that mourn:

And if in my temptation
Thou dost my soul attend,
I'll bear the tribulation
Which but with life shall end.

2163.

[Yes, the promised tribulation]

These things I have spoken unto you, that, &c. —xvi. 33.

Yes, the promised tribulation,
Saviour, in the world we find,
Find the pledge of sure salvation
In a patient, cheerful mind;
We on all our foes shall trample,
Sharers of Thy victory,
Followers of Thy great example,
Conquerors of the world through Thee.

2164.

[Away with our fears!]

Away with our fears!
The' Almighty appears,
Our Captain and Head!
We are all to infallible victory led:
He hath singly subdued
The world with their god,
And he bids us “Pursue,”
And He speaks to our hearts, “I have conquer'd for you.”

In His Spirit alone
We are bold to go on,
His victory share,
And by patience o'ercome the afflictions we bear;
No storms of distress
Can ruffle our peace,
While we aim at the prize,
And on Jesus's cross to His kingdom arise.

Our implacable foe
We daily o'erthrow,
To the evils submit,
And the goods upon earth we tread under our feet:
With Jesus endure,
Till for glory mature
Our souls we resign,
And ascend to partake of the triumph Divine.

CHAPTER XVII.

2165.

[Himself with lifted hands and eyes]

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His, &c. —xvii. 1.

Himself with lifted hands and eyes,
The great vicarious Sacrifice
He offers up for all our race,
Our faithful merciful High-Priest
To God presenting His request,
For every child of Adam prays.

First for the twelve He intercedes,
And then for all believers pleads,
And then for all the ransom'd kind,
That seeing how the Christians live,
The world may faithfully receive
And every soul his Saviour find.

2166.

[When full four thousand years are pass'd]

Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may, &c. —xvii. 1.

When full four thousand years are pass'd,
The destined hour arrives at last
For God to glorify His Son:
Again the Father's arms receive
In His own joy with Him to live
The Partner of His heavenly throne.

Again the' angelic hosts adore
Their Maker, God, who was before
Angel or man began to be;
Who now resumes His sovereign right,
Brightness of uncreated Light,
I AM from all eternity.

Saviour and Prince enthroned on high,
Thou dost Thy Father glorify,
His majesty on earth display
Who sent Thee from His bosom down,
To make His love and justice known,
The universal debt to pay.

Thou dost His name to men declare,
And stamp us with the character,
The truth and holiness Divine;
The depths of Deity reveal,
Thy members with Thy Spirit seal,
That God in all His saints may shine.

2167.

[Full power to Thee Thy Father gave]

As Thou hast given Him power over all, &c. —xvii. 2.

Full power to Thee Thy Father gave,
Supreme authority to save
Whoe'er their proffer'd Lord embrace:
All flesh is now by purchase Thine,
Who didst Thy precious life resign
To ransom the whole fallen race.

Thou wouldst on every soul bestow
The faith through which Thy people know
Eternal life on earth reveal'd:
Thou dost Thy quickening Spirit give
To all who lovingly believe,
And find their blood-bought pardon seal'd.

2168.

[In peace Divine unspeakable]

This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, &c. —xvii. 3.

In peace Divine unspeakable
The' angelic happiness we feel,
The life enjoy'd by saints above,
If Thou, His co-eternal Son
The Father in Thyself make known
And tell our hearts that God is love:
Soon as Thou dost Thy Spirit impart,
The one true God we know Thou art,
Our Prophet, Priest, and King receive,
Sent to restore our paradise,
With Thee we mount above the skies,
With Thee even now in heaven we live.

2169.

[Thou laid'st on earth the steadfast base]

I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have, &c. —xvii. 4.

Thou laid'st on earth the steadfast base
On which Thou dost Thy kingdom raise,
Thy church to fill the realms above;
Thou hast with all His will complied,
And through Thy passion glorified
The righteous God of truth and love.
Thou hast Thy ministry fulfill'd,
Thy faithful testimony seal'd,
Finish'd the work Thy Father gave,
Then, when Thou didst incline Thine head,
A voluntary Victim bleed,
And die Thyself the world to save.

2170.

[Jesus, Thy prayer is answer'd now]

And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with, &c. —xvii. 5.

Jesus, Thy prayer is answer'd now,
The Man, Jehovah's Fellow Thou
And seated on Thy Father's throne,

Bright Effluence of the light Divine,
Thou dost in Thy own glory shine
From all eternity Thy own:
The Man who did our world redeem
Is clothed with majesty supreme,
Thy body now is glorified;
Thou wear'st Thy mediatorial crown,
That we may in Thy right sit down,
And reign exalted at Thy side.

2171.

[Whom first to Thee Thy Father gave]

I have manifested Thy name unto the men, &c. —xvii. 6.

Whom first to Thee Thy Father gave
On them Thy present power to save,
Jesus, Thou didst in mercy show;
His name, His nature, and His mind,
Benevolent to all mankind
Thou bad'st Thy twelve apostles know:
His own and Abraham's progeny
The men whom He bestow'd on Thee
Redeeming from the world and sin,
With Thine adopting Spirit bless'd
Their gracious Father they confess'd,
And kept Thy word which spoke them clean.

2172.

[In order foremost of the Three]

Now they have known that all things, &c. —xvii. 7, 8.

In order foremost of the Three,
Fountain of Life and Deity,
Thy Father, with the twelve, we own;
Jesus by highest heaven adored,
Thy mission, miracles, and word,
Thy Godhead is from Him alone:
Thy all Thou didst from God receive:
Thou didst to Thine apostles give
His words through Thy internal grace:

They knew Thee then, His only Son
Sent from the everlasting throne
To save our whole apostate race.

2173.

[Not for the world of sinners dead]

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, &c. —xvii. 9.

Not for the world of sinners dead,
Not for the living faithful seed,
As yet the common Saviour prays:
The twelve, His most peculiar care,
First mention'd in His final prayer,
Are first establish'd by His grace:
Them for their office high design'd,
Elected out of all mankind,
To Thee by Love Paternal given,
Jesus, Thy prayer doth first secure,
And make Thy church's pillars sure,
And seal them favourites of heaven.

2174

[Jesus, Jehovah's equal Son]

And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are, &c. —xvii. 10.

Jesus, Jehovah's equal Son,
Thou and Thy Father are but one,
Thine interests are with His the same,
Distinction none of mine and thine;
And hence the messengers Divine
Were all apostles of the Lamb.
Thy power throughout their lives was seen;
Superior to the power of men
It proved the Source from which it flow'd,
When in Thy name the sick they heal'd,
The dead they raised, the fiends expell'd,
And thus Thy sovereign Godhead show'd.

2175.

[While Jesus doth to heaven ascend]

And now I am no more in the world, but, &c. —xvii. 11.

While Jesus doth to heaven ascend,
He asks His Father to defend
The little flock He leaves below;

Dependent upon God He prays
As man; as God confers the grace
His own eternal birth to show,
The constant need of prayer to' explain,
Through which we sure support obtain
In every conflict and distress;
And bless'd with final victory,
Holy, and true, and good, to Thee
Ascribe the everlasting praise.

2176.

[God heard the acceptable prayer]

Holy Father, keep through Thine own name, &c. —xvii. 11.

God heard the acceptable prayer
When Jesus to His Father's care
Did His first family bequeath:
Jehovah's name became their tower,
He magnified His saving power
And made them faithful unto death:
His holiness did theirs secure,
And kept from all pollution pure,
His unity preserved them one,
Till conquerors through His faithful love
They found their place prepared above,
And join'd their Saviour on His throne.

2177.

[The Shepherd good rejoiced to keep]

While I was with them in the world, I kept, &c. —xvii. 12.

The Shepherd good rejoiced to keep,
While in the world, His number'd sheep,
The sheep His Father had bestow'd:
He kept them in His Father's name,
The power and goodness to proclaim
The truth and faithfulness of God;
Jesus to Thee the twelve were given,
Their names were all inscribed in heaven;
Yet Judas by transgression fell,

His name was blotted from Thy book,
When his own mercies he forsook,
And challenged his own place in hell.

That none of Thine elect may boast,
One of the chosen twelve was lost,
He made himself perdition's son;
For whom Thou hadst a throne design'd,
He sold the Saviour of mankind,
And forfeited his promised crown:
Faithful he might have proved to Thee,
But fell from his integrity
By no decree of Thine compell'd;
He cast Thy slighted grace away,
Gave himself up, the tempter's prey,
And thus his own destruction seal'd.

2178.

[While yet Thou livedst a Man of woe]

And now come I to Thee; and these things, &c. —xvii. 13.

While yet Thou livedst a Man of woe,
Thy latest words of grace below
Thou didst to Thy disciples leave,
That soon recalling them to mind
They might Thy power and Spirit find,
And consolation strong receive:
Thee when they saw no longer here,
They felt the' indwelling Comforter
Accomplishing Thy whole design,
Granted they found Thy prayer and seal'd,
With all Thy joy and Spirit fill'd,
With all the plenitude Divine.

2179.

[Who first received the' engrafted word]

I have given them Thy word; and the world, &c. —xvii. 14.

Who first received the' engrafted word,
Thy followers by the world abhorr'd,
By patience and obedience show'd

The faith which through Thy sayings came,
And gloried in their Master's shame
Undaunted confessors of God:
Thy marks were in their bodies seen:
The filth and offscouring of men
Thy badge and daily cross they bore.
And still whoe'er belong to Thee
Detested by the world must be,
Till time and sin shall be no more.

2180.

[Thy members must their trial take]

I pray not that Thou shouldest take them, &c. —xvii. 15.

Thy members must their trial take
And suffer, Saviour, for Thy sake,
And to Thy will submit their own,
The general scorn and hate abide,
Dead to the world and crucified,
Till all their work on earth is done:
The earliest preachers of Thy love
Thou wouldst not Lord from earth remove:
Thy presence from the evil pure
Preserved, and kept them in the flame,
Till out of great distress they came,
And made their crown by sufferings sure.

2181.

[Partakers of Thy ministry]

They are not of the world, even as I am, &c. —xvii. 16.

Partakers of Thy ministry,
The men who still are sent by Thee
Are men, not of the world but God;
They all its vain desires deny,
Against its evils testify,
And tread the path their Pattern trod:
Thy mind and Spirit they possess,
The tempers of their Lord express,
Acquainted with Thy sorrows live,

Themselves of no repute they make,
And poor becoming for Thy sake,
Thy cup in life and death receive.

2182.

[That Spirit pure of truth and love]

Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy, &c. —xvii. 17.

That Spirit pure of truth and love,
That sacred unction from above
Did Thy first messengers ordain;
It set them for Thyself apart,
Reveal'd Thy word to every heart,
And cleansed their lives from every stain:
Still by the gospel word applied,
Thy ministers are sanctified,
The truth they lovingly receive,
It saves their souls and sets them free;
And consecrated, Lord, to Thee,
Thy holy word they preach and live.

2183.

[Ambassador of the Most-High]

As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even, &c. —xvii. 18.

Ambassador of the Most-High
Thy Father sent Thee from the sky
To make His truth and mercy known;
And every chosen instrument
By Thee into the world is sent,
To carry Thy great business on;
They of Thy work obtain a part,
And labouring sinners to convert,
Their ministerial task fulfil,
Ready their lives to sacrifice
(That precious souls may reach the skies)
And with their blood the record seal.

2184.

[Jesus, was ever love like Thine!]

And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, &c. —xvii. 19.

Jesus, was ever love like Thine!
Victim, immaculate, Divine!
Self-offer'd in the sinner's place,

For Thine elect apostles slain,
For all who their commission gain,
For every child of Adam's race!
We through Thy death the power receive,
The sanctifying truth believe,
Partakers of Thy sacrifice;
Bodies and souls present to God,
With Thine all-patient mind endow'd,
And to Thy heavenly kingdom rise.

2185.

[Faithful and merciful High-Priest]

Neither pray I for these alone, but for the, &c. —xvii. 20.

Faithful and merciful High-Priest,
Supreme in power, and love Divine,
While underneath Thy wings we rest,
We in Thine intercession join;
Saviour, Thou dost Thy dying care
To every age alike extend,
And by the virtue of Thy prayer
Thy church is kept till time shall end.

Faith through the apostolic word,
The faith of Thine elect we feel:
The Holy Ghost my God and Lord
Thee in my heart doth now reveal;
I know my interest in Thy blood,
My pardon seal'd I now receive,
Thy death hath brought my soul to God,
And trusting in Thy death I live.

2186.

[What is that unity?]

That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, &c. —xvii. 21.

What is that unity?
Can we be one in Thee,
As Thou the' eternal Son
Art with the Father one?
Then shall we know, when once we feel
The grace incomprehensible.

2187.

[Jesus Thee the Head we own]

Jesus Thee the Head we own,
The Saviour of mankind:
Thou of twain hast made us one,
Hast Jews and Gentiles join'd;
Both Thy mystic body are,
In Thee the scatter'd members meet:
Through Thine all-prevailing prayer
Our harmony complete.

By one Spirit inspired and led
We to each other cleave,
Nourish'd with immortal Bread
The life of faith we live:
Call'd to purity and peace
The fellowship of saints we prove
In the bond of perfectness,
And unity of love.

In Thy heavenly Father one,
We all His children are,
Of Thy flesh and of Thy bone
Thy holy nature share;
All into Thy Spirit drink,
All baptized into Thy name
One in heart and mind, we think,
And act, and speak, the same.

Closer knit to God and Thee
Jesus in us make known
All the hidden mystery,
The Holy Three in One:
Thus convinced the world shall feel
Thy Father's gracious will and mind,
Know He sent Thee down to dwell
In us, and all mankind.

2188.

[The glory of God's only Son]

The glory which Thou gavest Me I have, &c. —xvii. 22.

The glory of God's only Son
In all His sons doth shine,
A greatness to the world unknown,
A majesty Divine!

2189.

[What to Thee Thy Father gave]

What to Thee Thy Father gave
Thou dost on man bestow,
Souls re-born Thy Spirit have,
Thy glorious image show,
Stamp'd with real holiness,
Partakers of Thy life, they shine,
All Thy members, Lord, express
The unity Divine.

One, though not the same, with Thee,
And each with each they are,
The Divine plurality
And simple nature share:
In Thy permanent abode
When Father, Son, and Spirit meet,
Transcript of the triune God
Thy church is all complete.

2190.

[Jesus, with Thy Father come]

I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may, &c. —xvii. 23.

Jesus, with Thy Father come,
And bring our inward Guide,
Make our hearts Thy humble home,
And in Thine house abide,
Show us with Thy presence fill'd,
Fill'd with glory from Thy throne,
Wholly sanctified, and seal'd,
And perfected in one.

Thus Thy Father's kind intent
Let the whole world perceive,
Know He from His bosom sent
His Son, that all may live;
Sent Thee every soul to bless,
That in Thy loving Spirit join'd
All may with one mouth confess
The Saviour of mankind.

By the miracle of grace
Bring every outcast in,
Show to all our ransom'd race
The power that saves from sin;
All our ransom'd race convert,
That every child of man may prove
Thee residing in his heart,
And know that God is love.

God in Christ is love to me,
He loves me for Thy sake,
Loves us all as part of Thee
Who didst our nature take:
Wills our God that all should live,
Through faith in Thee His favourite Son,
Should Thy proffer'd joy receive,
And triumph on Thy throne.

2291.

[Lord, Thy testamental will]

Father, I will that they also, whom Thou, &c. —xvii. 24.

Lord, Thy testamental will
Is ratified by God,
Seal'd by Thy own Spirit's seal,
And written in Thy blood:
Trusting, sharing in Thy death,
To us Thy life shall all be given,
Us to whom Thou dost bequeath
The' inheritance of heaven.

As His only Son and Heir
Thou challengest Thine own,
Askest that Thy church may share
Thine everlasting throne;
Praying in Thy proper right,
Thou dost for us demand the grace,
The beatifying sight
Of Thy own glorious face.

Head and members, Christ entire
We must together be,
In the bosom of Thy Sire,
And glorified with Thee:
Thee before the world began,
And us He did as Thine approve,
Chosen in the Son of Man
By His eternal love.

2192.

[Father of our gracious Lord]

O righteous Father, the world hath not, &c. —xvii. 25.

Father of our gracious Lord,
Thy righteousness we own;
By the' angelic host adored,
And by Thy children known,
Hidden from the world Thou art,
Till humbly they Thy Son receive;
Then they find Him in their heart,
And one with God they live.

We have surely found Him here,
Sent in His saints to dwell,
Faith's almighty Finisher
Thy justice to reveal:
Justice now confers the prize,
Deserved and purchased by Thy Son:
Justice wills that we should rise,
His members to His throne.

2193.

[Christ our Head and heavenly Lord]

And I have declared unto them Thy name, &c. —xvii. 26.

Christ our Head and heavenly Lord,
Thou only canst proclaim
By Thine own inspoken word
Thy heavenly Father's name:
Thou to us hast made it known,
His Power and Wisdom from above,
Then His Righteousness we own,
His Truth, and Life, and Love.

Thou His name unspeakable
Wilt farther yet declare,
Till we all His nature feel,
And all His impress bear,
Till, complete in holiness
We comprehend the mystery,
Fill'd with all His love and grace,
For ever fill'd with Thee.

Come Thou holy One of God,
And by that Spirit Divine
Shed in all our hearts abroad
Thy Father's love and Thine:
Fit us for the blissful sight,
And when Thou hast Thy saints prepared,
Glory on our foreheads write,
Thyself our full Reward.

[The Hymns that follow were composed on those verses of this chapter which are specified at the head of each respectively. As the Author has, in the hitherto unpublished Hymns, confined himself to another metre down to the end of verse 19, it has been thought better to place these by themselves, especially as the several topics are treated here with a more strictly personal reference.]

2194.

[Fulness of power the world to save]

Verses 2, 3.

Fulness of power the world to save
Thy Father hath conferr'd on Thee,
All flesh He to Thy merit gave,
And Thou hast proved Thy power on me;
Thou hast to me the Father show'd,
Thine everlasting Spirit given:
And lo, I live the life of God,
I live on earth the life of heaven!

2195.

[Redeem'd by Thine electing love]

Verse 6.

Redeem'd by Thine electing love,
And separate from the world I am,
Endow'd with wisdom from above
I know the great Jehovah's name;
Thou hast the Deity declared,
His nature to my soul reveal'd;
And soon in me, Thy death's reward,
Thy sayings shall be all fulfill'd.

2196.

[Good in myself whereon to ground]

Verse 7.

Good in myself whereon to ground
My hopes of bliss, I seek no more,
Cause of all good in creatures found
Thy grace, O Father, I adore:
Instructed by Thy humble Son,
(Thy Son from all eternity)
The Fountain of perfection own
The whole of excellence in Thee.

2197.

[Jesus, in whom I now believe]

Verse 8.

Jesus, in whom I now believe,
The Author of my faith Thou art,
The words Thou didst from God receive
Thy Spirit hath spoke them to my heart:

By these convinced I surely know
Thou art His co-eternal Son,
Who sent Thee down to die below,
And bring His rebels to His throne.

2198.

[Inspiring me with faith Divine]

Verse 9.

Inspiring me with faith Divine
Thou Lord out of the world hast took,
Hast pray'd for this weak soul of mine;
And for Thy prayer's return I look:
Thy prayer's return I daily find,
Unlike the world of sinners live
To Thee and to Thy people join'd
Till all Thy fulness I receive.

2199.

[Jesus Thy Father's child I am]

Verse 10.

Jesus Thy Father's child I am,
Who made me by Thy powerful word;
Me for Thine own vouchsafe to claim,
The work, the purchase of my Lord:
Thou didst redeem me by Thy blood,
That Thee my soul may glorify,
And triumph in a dying God,
And spread Thy praise through earth and sky.

2200.

[Thy painful days of flesh are o'er]

Verse 11.

Thy painful days of flesh are o'er,
Redeemer of our fallen race,
We see Thee Lord, on earth no more,
Nor hear Thy words of truth and grace:
But we Thy followers are constrain'd
As in the midst of wolves to dwell,
Still in an evil world detain'd,
And urged by all the hosts of hell.

Jesus our Head to heaven is gone
But we are in the world distress'd;

Father respect Thy praying Son,
And grant His prevalent request;
Preserve us pure from sinful blame,
From every spot and wrinkle free,
And keep through Thine almighty name
United each to each in Thee.

2201.

[Taught by our Lord we will not pray]

Verse 15.

Taught by our Lord we will not pray
To be out of the world removed,
But keep us in our evil day
Till patient faith is fully proved:
From sin, the world, and Satan's snare
The members of Thy Son defend,
Till all Thy character we bear,
And grace matured in glory end.

2202.

[Through the pure evangelic word]

Verse 17.

Through the pure evangelic word
Thine image, Lord, on us impress,
And speak us after God restored
In true internal holiness;
Thy word the channel of Thy love
Through meek and patient faith apply,
And fit us for the joys above,
And take us spotless to the sky.

CHAPTER XVIII.

2203.

[The emblem had in trembling haste]

Jesus...went forth with His disciples over the, &c. —xviii. 1.

The emblem had in trembling haste
The brook with his companions pass'd,
Mournful, disconsolate, dismay'd,
When David from his rebel fled:

But calm the Son of David goes
To meet His fierce ungrateful foes,
The life of Absalom to buy,
And for a world of rebels die.

2204.

[For evil in a garden done]

Where was a garden, into the which He, &c. —xviii. 1.

For evil in a garden done
Christ in a garden must atone:
Freely He comes by suffering there
Our loss of Eden to repair,
Bears in the memorable place
The sins of our devoted race,
Takes on Himself the wrath of God,
To quench it with His tears and blood.

2205.

[The place apostates know]

And Judas also, which betrayed Him, knew, &c. —xviii. 2.

The place apostates know,
And never can forget,
Where Jesus and His church below
In solemn worship meet:
Yet Him in vain they claim
Who to His foes desert;
Disciples, confessors in name,
But traitors false in heart.

Judas signifies Confessor.

2206.

[With sorrow Lord and fear]

Judas...having received a band of men, &c. —xviii. 3.

With sorrow Lord and fear
We Thine apostle see
Renounce his sacred character,
And hell prefer to Thee:
For we who fiercely blame
The wretch with Satan fraught,
Left to ourselves should do the same,
Should sell our God for nought.

2207.

[When Satan rules and urges on]

Judas...cometh thither with lanterns, &c. —xviii. 3.

When Satan rules and urges on
The blindfold slaves of wickedness,
Lanterns they bring, to seek the Sun,
And arms, the' Omnipotent to seize.

2208.

[Freely He lays the ransom down]

Jesus therefore, knowing all things that, &c. —xviii. 4.

Freely He lays the ransom down,
The life which none could take away,
Goes forth to meet the ills foreknown,
Yields Himself up an easy prey;
His foes by miracle struck blind,
Struck down by one resistless word,
Mild He instructs Himself to find,
And gives them power to seize their Lord.

2209.

[Sinners to seek and save He came]

They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. &c. —xviii. 5.

Sinners to seek and save He came,
They seek, that they their God may slay:
And I of the dire number am,
And Jesus with a kiss betray;
But let the season past suffice,
That with the ruffian band I stood;
I see Thee now with open'd eyes,
And prostrate own, my Lord, my God!

2210.

[That irresistible I AM]

As soon then as He had said unto them, I am, &c. —xviii. 6.

That irresistible I AM
Declares the present Deity,
Yet none convinced their God proclaim,
Whose power and love they feel and see;
Who struck their bodies to the ground,
He might have struck their souls to hell,
In chains of penal darkness bound,
And plunged in flames unquenchable.

Ah, what can outward wonders do
To' o'ercome the stubbornness of man?
Unless Thou bind our spirits too,
Thy judgments cast us down in vain;
My hopes, designs, or health o'erthrow,
Yet will I not to Thee submit;
But give my heart Thy love to know,
And then I worship at Thy feet.

2211.

[Jesus the oft repeated call]

Then asked He them again, Whom seek ye? &c. —xviii. 7.

Jesus the oft repeated call
Doth to obdurate sinners give,
Time to recover from their fall,
To weigh their ways, repent and live:
He turns us to our hearts again,
He asks me whom I seek below,
Would I the world or Christ obtain,
The joy of grace or nature know?

Him do I seek by faith to' adore,
Or by my sins to crucify?
Jesus, Thou dost my thoughts explore,
My soul is naked to Thine eye:
I seek, or think I seek my Lord,
That when I find Thy precious grace,
Thy name may be confess'd, adored,
And hallow'd with eternal praise.

2212.

[Anxious Thy followers' lives alone]

If therefore ye seek Me, let these go their way, &c. —xviii. 8.

Anxious Thy followers' lives alone
To save, forgetful of Thine own,
Thou dost by Thy command
Strike down whoe'er their God oppose,
Or secretly restrain Thy foes
And rule the ruffian band.

Thy servants, Lord, they must dismiss,
They cannot Thine apostles seize
Prohibited by Thee,
Who freely dost Thy life resign
A bleeding sacrifice Divine
For all mankind and me.

2213.

[Shepherd of souls, the lambs and sheep]

That the saying might be fulfilled, which, &c. —xviii. 9.

Shepherd of souls, the lambs and sheep
Thy tender love delights to keep
In every dangerous hour,
Thou hid'st us by Thy guardian love
Beyond the reach of sin, above
The world, and Satan's power.

Safety and strength in Thee we have,
Thou wilt our souls and bodies save,
Who on Thine arm depend;
That arm omnipotent, Divine,
Which holds this feeble soul of mine,
Shall keep me to the end.

Me by Thy Father's love bestow'd
Thou wilt preserve, the gift of God,
Nor with Thy purchase part,
(Ready so oft to leave the fold,)
Thou wilt not quit Thy mercy's hold,
Or lose me from Thy heart.

With me Thy Spirit shall abide,
And help, and influence, and guide,
Till all my course is run:
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee near,
Thou wilt my heavenly Life appear,
And take me to Thy throne.

2214.

[Man without grace may courage show]

Peter having a sword drew it, and smote, &c. —xviii. 10.

Man without grace may courage show,
And much for Christ presume to do:
His zeal is all unsanctified,
His efforts are the starts of pride,
The eagerness of nature's haste,
Too fierce too violent to last.

Even the zeal which God bestows,
And as a placid stream it flows,
Returning to its Source above;
Its fervour is the flame of love,
From all the dross of nature pure,
And shall eternally endure.

2215.

[Who furious for the truth contend]

Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup, &c. —xviii. 11.

Who furious for the truth contend,
Christ with an arm of flesh defend,
The world with its own weapons fight,
And oft your fellow-servants smite,
Put up the controversial sword,
Nor stain the meekness of your Lord.

Let heathens force by force repel,
Let bigots boast their fiery zeal,
The cup which God to Christ did give
Ye followers of the Lamb receive,
(The cup to all His members given,)
And die on earth to reign in heaven.

Jesus, I would with joy embrace
Thy portion here, Thy patient grace,
Meekly my nature's will resign,
Accept the precious gift Divine,
Thy sacred cup of grief unknown,
Thy cross, which mounts me to Thy throne.

2216.

[Adorable captivity]

Then the band and the captain and officers, &c. —xviii. 12.

Adorable captivity
Which sets a world of prisoners free
From sin and Satan's iron chain!
Our souls Thou offerest to release;
Pardon and liberty and peace
We all may through Thy bonds obtain.

Jesus, Thy dear redeeming grace
By faith we thankfully embrace,
Enjoy our perfect freedom here,
Servants of righteousness we rise,
As sons of God regain the skies,
As heirs at Thy right hand appear.

2217.

[Happy the highly favour'd man]

Happy the highly favour'd man
Who wears Thine honourable chain,
To inward liberty restored!
Jesus, with Thee in spirit join'd,
He triumphs, for Thy cause confined,
The joyful prisoner of the Lord:
Who Thy captivity partake
And calmly suffer for Thy sake,
Our bonds are sanctified by Thine:
And when we have endured with Thee
Thy death of pain and infamy,
We shall in all Thy glories shine.

2218.

[The world exult to see pursued]

Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel, &c. —xviii. 14.

The world exult to see pursued
Their counsel to destroy the good,
And God permits them to oppress,
And curses with their own success:
When priests against His church conspire,
Accomplishing the fiends' desire,

Their triumph doth their fall portend,
Their joys in endless sorrows end.

2219.

[If men the Sovereign Priest arraign]

The high priest then asked Jesus of His, &c. —xviii. 19.

If men the Sovereign Priest arraign,
If men the' eternal Truth decry,
Shall Thy disciples Lord complain?
Or meekly to the charge reply,
Suspected or accused, like Thee,
Of error and conspiracy?

Still let the world their charge repeat,
As factious innovators brand,
The servants like the Master treat;
At their unrighteous bar we stand,
We stand, their utmost wrath to' abide,
We stand—with Jesus at our side.

2220.

[O might I, like Jesus, be]

In secret have I said nothing. —xviii. 20.

O might I, like Jesus, be
Foe to guile and secrecy,
Walk as always in His sight,
Free and open as the light!
Jesus, Lord, to me impart
The true nobleness of heart,
The unfeign'd simplicity,
The pure mind which was in Thee.

2221.

[Join we, Lord, as taught by Thee]

Why askest thou Me? ask them which, &c. —xviii. 21.

Join we, Lord, as taught by Thee,
Steadfastness and modesty,
Patiently our souls possess,
Resolute the truth confess,
Speak it when accused by men,
Firmly to the last maintain.

Challenge we the world to show
What they of Thy servants know:
Walk we not in open day?
Let the most malicious say,
Real testimony give,
How we speak, and how we live!

2222.

[O'erwhelm'd with grief and shame I see]

One of the officers...struck Jesus with the, &c. —xviii. 22.

O'erwhelm'd with grief and shame I see
My Saviour buffeted for me,
For faults which I have done,
Meekly He doth the' affront sustain
To' abase the loftiness of man,
And for my pride atone.

Confounded in the dust I would
The sufferings of an humbled God
With meekest awe adore,
Insulted as my Pattern be,
And never feel the injury,
And never murmur more.

2223.

[Silent we turn the other cheek]

Jesus answered him, If I have spoken, &c. —xviii. 23.

Silent we turn the other cheek,
The private injury pass by,
Yet when required for God to speak
From crimes ourselves to justify,
Submissive to the powers that be,
We dare not obstinate appear,
But speak with mild sincerity,
Our office, not ourselves to clear.

2224.

[Thou Saviour by Thy sacred bands]

Now Annas had sent Him bound unto, &c. —xviii. 24.

Thou Saviour by Thy sacred bands
Didst expiate man's audaciousness,
Who rashly dared extend his hands
The interdicted fruit to seize:

Thy hands are tied to loosen ours,
The instruments of sin set free,
Redeem our captivated powers,
And give us hearts to die for Thee.

Those voluntary bonds of Thine
Break all the bonds my will has made,
And fill with confidence Divine
My soul on my Redeemer stay'd:
In perfect liberty from sin
I serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
When Thou hast made me free within,
Free to obey, and praise, and love.

2225.

[Thrice he promised to confess]

Peter then denied again: and immediately, &c. —xviii. 27.

Thrice he promised to confess,
Thrice his suffering Lord denies,
Thus performs his promises,
Bonds and death he thus defies!
But let Jesus' look convert,
Then the reed a rock shall prove,
Thrice express his faithful heart,
Thrice protest his humble love.

2226.

[Legal impurity they dread]

They themselves went not into the judgment, &c. —xviii. 28.

Legal impurity they dread
Who innocence oppress,
Nor fear the guiltless blood they shed
Should stain their consciences;
And thus our formalists maintain
Their sanctity's renown,
While gnats out of their cup they strain,
And swallow camels down.

Bitter implacable and proud
They in externals trust,

Abhor the genuine sons of God,
And persecute the just;
Heathens profane far off they see,
At open sinners start,
With eyes full of adultery,
And murder in their heart.

2227.

['Tis thus our fierce unrighteous foes]

If He were not a malefactor, we would, &c. —xviii. 30.

'Tis thus our fierce unrighteous foes
Their enmity declare,
Guilty of blackest crimes suppose,
And drag us to the bar:
The tedious forms of justice vain
They furiously pass by,
Pronounce us impious and profane,
And judge before they try.

2228.

[A criminal they could not doom]

The Jews...said unto him, It is not, &c. —xviii. 31, 32.

A criminal they could not doom,
They might an innocent release,
Permitted by imperious Rome
To hear and try the witnesses;
But lo the rage of Jewish zeal
Conspires with Roman policy,
Thy sure prediction to fulfil,
And nail their Saviour to the tree.

And shall Thy followers complain
Who in Thy steps profess to go,
Condemn'd by rash oppressive man,
Entreated like Thyself below?
Or rather patiently receive
The treatment which confirms us Thine,
And when pronounced unfit to live
Our spirits on Thy cross resign!

2229.

[King of the Jews and Gentiles too]

Art Thou the King of the Jews? —xviii. 33.

King of the Jews and Gentiles too,
Born from above and form'd anew
By Thy creating power,
Thee, Jesus, we with joy confess,
And prostrate at Thy throne of grace
Thy majesty adore.

O wouldst Thou to my heart explain
The nature of Thy Spirit's reign,
The hidden mystery,
That fill'd with peace and love unknown
My pure self-emptied soul may own
Thou art a King in me.

2230.

[Jesus, what hast Thou done?]

What hast Thou done? —xviii. 35.

Jesus, what hast Thou done?
No evil was in Thee,
But Thou hast made my deeds Thine own
A criminal for me.
For Adam's sinful race
Thou art condemn'd to die
That through Thy blood and righteousness
We all may reach the sky.

2231.

[Not by force of arms upheld]

My kingdom is not of this world. —xviii. 36.

Not by force of arms upheld
The kingdom of Thy grace
Stands invisible, conceal'd
In the peculiar race;
Ruling over all it stands
A kingdom that can never move,
Stablish'd by Almighty hands
The Hierarchy of Love!

Not with worldly pomp and power
Thou dost Thy sway maintain,
Righteousness and peace restore
And happiness to man:
All Thy joyful subjects own,
Thy Spirit in Thy kingdom given
Makes our hearts Thy humble throne,
And turns our earth to heaven.

2232.

[Jesus, King of righteousness]

Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end, &c. —xviii. 37.

Jesus, King of righteousness,
Thy people taught by Thee,
Bold before the world confess
Thy royal dignity:
Born for this alone we are,
And in Thy testimony join,
By our words and lives declare
The power of truth Divine.

God descended from the sky
And manifest within,
Thee the Truth we testify
Which makes us free from sin;
Thee our Life in life and death
Our real Holiness we praise,
Publish with our latest breath
The truth of love and grace.

2233.

[All that to the truth belong]

Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice. —xviii. 37.

All that to the truth belong
The Saviour's word believe,
Manna dropping from Thy tongue
With humble joy receive;
Listening to Thy voice fulfil
The law of liberty and love,

Serve Thy good and perfect will
As angels do above.

Be it all my business Lord,
While here on earth I stay
Gladly to attend Thy word
And faithfully obey:
Thou to me Thy Spirit give,
And taught by His anointing, I
Witness of the truth shall live,
And in its service die.

2234.

[The men who human praise desire]

Pilate saith unto Him, What is truth? —xviii. 38.

The men who human praise desire
Who set their heart on things below,
Like Pilate carelessly inquire,
But will not wait the truth to know,
But soon their slighted Lord forsake,
And cast His words behind their back.

Not with a cold or double heart
But faith's sincerity unfeign'd
We ask Thee Saviour to impart
The knowledge in Thyself contain'd,
And give our new-born souls to prove,
The Truth, the Life of perfect Love.

2235.

[His innocence we daily find]

I find in Him no fault at all. —xviii. 38.

His innocence we daily find
Acknowledged and abandon'd too
By men, who favourably inclined
To truth, yet tremble to pursue
The narrow path by Jesus trod,
And suffer with a patient God.

Jesus, the only faultless Man,
Thee would I constantly confess

Thy sovereign Deity maintain,
Stand by Thy hated witnesses,
Undaunted for Thy cause contend,
And Thee in life and death defend.

2236.

[Arm'd with authority the man]

But ye have a custom, that I should release, &c. —xviii. 39.

Arm'd with authority the man
Who for an innocent entreats,
He loses all his efforts vain,
His own high dignity forgets;
He should the clamorous command,
Declare for truth and equity,
The' oppressors to their face withstand,
And set the injured Captive free.

2237.

[By wild impetuous passion led]

Then cried they all again, saying, Not this, &c. —xviii. 40.

By wild impetuous passion led
We still repeat the direful deed,
With one consent we cry
(While to the world our hearts we give)
In us let the first Adam live,
And let the Second die.

But let the season past suffice;
Jesus, we now unite our cries
And ask the death of sin;
Nail this Barabbas to the tree,
These lusts which steal our hearts from Thee;
And spread Thy life within.

The cruel murderers of our God,
Which shed so oft Thy precious blood
No longer Lord reprieve,
But slay them by the Spirit of grace,
And with Thy vital holiness
In all Thy members live.

CHAPTER XIX.

2238.

[The Man of griefs by all despised]

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged, &c. —xix. 1.

The Man of griefs by all despised,
Loaded with pain and infamy,
Like a rebellious slave chastised,
We mourn, but wonder not to see:
He stands in the first Adam's place
Beneath our penalties and pains,
Of all our disobedient race
The sin and chastisement sustains.

2239.

[Enrobed and crown'd in mockery]

And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns. —xix. 2.

Enrobed and crown'd in mockery
Thou dost for Adam's sin atone,
Who fain would independent be,
And live like God supreme alone:
With pride entail'd on all the kind,
We too would reign admired adored;
But here the remedy we find
The meekness of our humbled Lord.

Thou wouldst not from the people take
A crown without reproach or pain,
But scoff'd and wounded for our sake
Thou dost the grief and shame sustain;
Thou dost the crown of thorns receive,
To make Thy patient kingdom known,
And lo, with Thee we die and live,
We suffer and ascend Thy throne.

2240.

[Sinner behold what thou hast done!]

Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown, &c. —xix. 5.

Sinner behold what thou hast done!
Exposed thy King to grief unknown,
To anguish and disgrace:

Thy sins have cover'd Him with scorn,
Thy sins have crown'd His head with thorn,
And marr'd His heavenly face.

Yet in that Man deform'd for Thee
The Fulness of the Godhead see,
That Man of grief and love
The Lord, thy Lord and God confess,
Who, by His blood and righteousness,
Hath bought thy crown above.

2241.

[More precious than the gold and gems]

More precious than the gold and gems
That shine in earthly diadems,
The thorns of Jesu's crown
Stain'd with the blood of God, they pay
The debt of all mankind, and lay
The general ransom down.

A rich inheritance they buy,
Eternal mansions in the sky
For Adam's favour'd race:
And every ransom'd soul with me
By faith Thy mangled form may see,
And then Thy glorious face.

2242.

[Who would not look on Thee]

Behold the Man! —xix. 5.

Who would not look on Thee,
Thou Man of grief and love?
'Tis heaven on earth, Thy face to see,
'Tis all our heaven above.

2243.

[The Son of God Himself He made]

We have a law, and by our law He ought, &c. —xix. 7.

The Son of God Himself He made,
Himself He proved the Son of God,
The law of love Divine obey'd,
Of justice, which required His blood:

His blood must purge our sinful stain,
Jehovah's vengeance satisfy,
Salvation for the world obtain;
And by this law He ought to die.

2244.

[How wretched is the man]

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, &c. —xix. 8.

How wretched is the man,
How sure of ill success,
Who fondly seeks with effort vain
God and the world to please!
He soon through servile fear
Gives up the injured side,
And Jesus in His members here
Again is crucified.

2245.

[When He could Himself defend]

And saith unto Jesus, Whence art Thou? &c. —xix. 9.

When He could Himself defend,
The Saviour holds His peace,
Our apologies to end,
And clamours to suppress:
Hear we then the speechless Lamb
Who doth our eagerness reprove,
Silence and for ever shame
Our self-excusing love.

2246.

[Thee may I ever keep in view]

Thou couldest have no power at all, &c. —xix. 11.

Thee may I ever keep in view
Crush'd by abused authority
The evil instruments look through,
The wisdom of my Father see
Which lets the world Thy church oppress,
Or kill Thy passive witnesses.

Thy power doth now their rage confine,
Fast bound as by a secret chain:

And till Thy hand the warrant sign
Their malice threatens us in vain;
We know our hairs are number'd all,
Nor one without Thy leave can fall.

Wherefore on Thee we fix our eyes,
And wait the counsels of Thy will,
Assured that all in earth and skies
Shall only Thy design fulfil,
To Thine eternal glory tend,
And in our full salvation end.

2247.

[He must the wrath Divine appease]

From thenceforth Pilate sought to release Him. —xix. 12.

He must the wrath Divine appease,
He must a world of sinners buy:
Man cannot rescue or release,
When God hath doom'd His Son to die.

2248.

[When passion in the judge prevails]

If thou let this Man go, thou art not, &c. —xix. 12, 13.

When passion in the judge prevails,
Human respect, or earthly hope,
His feeble love of justice fails,
And loth, he gives the guiltless up:
The slave of fame who would be just
Yet soothe the giddy multitude,
Sooner or late, he surely must
To interest sacrifice his God.

2249.

[Jesus while the world despise Thee]

Behold your King! —xix. 14.

Jesus while the world despise Thee
We our humbled King confess,
By the marks we recognise Thee,
Bleeding Prince of life and peace;
By the tokens of Thy passion
Us Thy faithful subjects know,

Then reveal Thy great salvation,
Then our crowns of life bestow.

Through humility and patience
Here Thou dost Thy sway maintain,
Out of mighty tribulations
Come Thy saints with Thee to reign:
King of griefs, our hearts adore Thee,
Pain'd with Thy afflictions, own
Suffering is Thy people's glory,
Suffering leads us to Thy throne.

2250.

[Who yield their hearts the sordid throne]

But they cried out, Away with Him, &c. —xix. 15.

Who yield their hearts the sordid throne
Of pride or base desire,
Jesus they for their King disown,
And still His death require:
Away with Him! they will not have
This Man of woe to reign,
They will not suffer Him to save,
But crucify again.

Cæsar their only king they know,
The power invisible
The kingdom of Thy grace below
Lord, they refuse to feel:
The throne they might with Thee divide,
The Holy Ghost receive,
But will not suffer at Thy side,
And in Thy glory live.

2251.

[Emblem of our sins, He groans]

And He bearing His cross went forth. —xix. 17.

Emblem of our sins, He groans
Beneath the cross's load,
Thus for all our guilt atones,
And heals us by His blood:

Let us on our Surety gaze,
That lovely piteous spectacle!
Lo, He suffers in our place
What we deserve to feel.

Strength for us His sufferings buy
To imitate our Head:
Let us then ourselves deny,
And in Thy footsteps tread,
Go we forth to Calvary,
And bearing Thy reproach and pain,
Patient of the cross with Thee
Thy crown immortal gain.

2252.

[Bound to the altar see]

They crucified Him. —xix. 18.

Bound to the altar see
The bleeding Sacrifice!
Uplifted on the shameful tree
He hangs 'twixt earth and skies!
Jesus the crucified
Invites our sinful race,
And with those arms extended wide
Would all mankind embrace.

Was ever grief like His
Who bears Jehovah's name!
Of all His glory stripp'd He is,
And cover'd with our shame,
Cover'd with His own blood
Whom earth and heaven desires,
The Father's joy, the' eternal God
In agonies expires.

Number'd with sinners Thee
My Saviour I confess,

Struggling in death to ransom me
And all our dying race:
My Purchaser Divine,
My rightful Lord Thou art,
And lo! I answer Thy design,
And give Thee all my heart!

2253.

[Virtue by few embraced]

They crucified...two other with Him. —xix. 18.

Virtue by few embraced
We find in Christ alone,
Betwixt two opposite vices placed
Essential Virtue own:
And still the truth is seen
With error by its side,
And Christians among sinful men
Are daily crucified.

2254.

[Jesus, by the judge allow'd]

Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews. —xix. 19, 20.

Jesus, by the judge allow'd
Supreme in regal power,
Very and eternal God
Let all Thy saints adore:
All the Israelites indeed
Their bleeding King and Saviour own,
On the cross we plainly read
Thy title to the throne.

King proclaim'd in different tongues,
Is our expiring God;
All mankind to Thee belongs,
The purchase of Thy blood:
Universal Monarch Thou
Command the nations to submit,
Jews and Greeks and Heathens bow
Thy subjects at Thy feet.

2255.

[Conscience and remorse for sin]

Then said the chief priests...to Pilate, &c. —xix. 21, 22.

Conscience and remorse for sin
Remembrancers severe,
After the dire act, begin
To plague the wicked here:
Soon they wish the deed effaced,
Which meets and blasts their guilty eyes,
In their view for ever placed,
And written in the skies.

Written with an iron pen,
My horrid crime I see,
I the Prince of Life have slain,
The Saviour on that tree!
Torn by sin His sacred flesh,
Those nails into His body driven,
Crucified my Lord afresh,
The King of earth and heaven.

Every sinner's King and mine
Thy majesty I own,
Cover'd with the blood Divine
Which did for all atone:
While I at Thy cross remain,
The crimson blood, the gushing tide
Washes out my sinful stain,
And saves the regicide!

2256.

[By His nakedness He owns]

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified, &c. —xix. 23.

By His nakedness He owns
Man's original offence,
For our sinful shame atones,
For our loss of innocence;
Soon as we our sins confess
Hides them from His Father's eyes,

Clothes us with His righteousness,
Gives us back our paradise.

2257.

[All is grace and mystery!]

They...made four parts, to every soldier a part. —xix. 23.

All is grace and mystery!
Lo! His spoils divided are,
(While He hangs on yonder tree,)
Every soul may claim a share:
Jesus, and whate'er is His,
Let the world of sinners find;
Common the salvation is,
Parted out to all mankind.

2258.

[Heathens in every age contend]

The coat was without seam;...they said, &c. —xix. 23, 24.

Heathens in every age contend
For forms of godliness,
And strictly charge us not to rend
Our Lord's external dress:
For Christ Himself they nothing care,
Yet unity maintain,
The seamless coat they will not tear
That they the whole may gain.

Each party calls the coat their own,
As masters of the loom,
Though neither at Geneva spun
Nor Babylonish Rome;
Their feuds and strifes which never cease,
Their fierce divisions, prove
They have not kept the bond of peace,
The unity of love.

2259.

[The coward Peter had denied]

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His, &c. —xix. 25.

The coward Peter had denied,
The judge through fear had crucified,
His followers base themselves betook
To flight, and all their Lord forsook:

The weaker sex, the Marys three,
Patterns of faith and constancy,
By Jesus on the cross remain,
And thence their strength and courage gain.

Arm'd with the power of Jesu's grace,
Surmounting nature's tenderness
The sharp heart-piercing sword they feel,
The horrors of that spectacle;
Unmoved by shame or danger near,
His only dying cries they hear,
Regardless of the' outrageous crowd
They only mark His streaming blood.

The martyrs thus their strength received,
While with the Man of griefs they grieved,
And dared the fiery test abide,
Partakers with the Crucified:
Thus all the followers of the Lamb
Endure the pain, despise the shame,
And power to suffer in His cause
Find at the foot of Jesus' cross.

2260.

[Jacob gather'd up his feet]

He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost. —xix. 30.

Jacob gather'd up his feet,
Expiring in the bed,
Jesus doth to death submit,
And freely bows His head;
Willingly the ransom pays,
Gives Himself a sacrifice,
Pleased to suffer in our place
He bows His head, and dies.

All the sins of all mankind
On Jesu's head were laid;

Now He hath His life resign'd,
And our whole debt is paid.
Now we may our parting breath
Into our Father's hands commend,
Live for ever through the death
Of our expiring Friend.

2261.

[He sleeps! and lo His wounded side]

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced, &c. —xix. 34.

He sleeps! and lo His wounded side
Gives being to His spotless bride,
Out of His side the church is took,
And while we on our Saviour look
We constitute the second Eve,
And through our Husband's dying live.

2262.

[The Rock is smote by Moses' rod]

And forthwith came there out blood and water. —xix. 34.

The Rock is smote by Moses' rod,
And pours a consecrated flood:
I see the fountain open wide,
I see the' inseparable tide,
Atoning blood and water clean,
To expiate and wash out my sin.

Jesus from Thee I surely know
The streams of full salvation flow,
Confiding in Thy death possess
The pardon and the holiness,
The double life Thy wounds impart,
The peace and purity of heart.

2263.

[I do believe the record true]

He that saw it bare record, and his record, &c. —xix. 35.

I do believe the record true,
Thou camest by blood and water too,
By blood to' atone, by water clean
To wash out all my inbred sin,

To sprinkle and renew my heart,
To make me Saviour as Thou art,
And then take home Thy spotless bride,
And place me glorious at Thy side.

2264.

[Behold Him bleeding on the tree!]

These things were done, that the Scripture, &c. —xix. 36.

Behold Him bleeding on the tree!
The Scripture and Divine decree
His death for sin require;
In weakness crucified and slain,
His strength to save doth still remain
Unbroken and entire.

True Paschal Lamb, to Thee I look;
To set the bones which sin hath broke
Thy Spirit's power exert;
Mighty to save a world from sin,
Thy salutiferous grace bring in,
And heal my contrite heart.

2265.

[My sins have done the deed]

And again another Scripture saith, They, &c. —xix. 37.

My sins have done the deed,
His sacred body torn:
I see Him bow His head,
I look on Him and mourn!
The Man I pierced, 'tis He, 'tis He!
I feel, I feel, He dies for me!

O may I ever gaze
On an expiring God,
On that disfigured face
Deform'd with tears and blood,
Till coming in the clouds I own,
And mount to meet Him on His throne!

2266.

[Through fear of the self-righteous Jews]

Joseph of Arimathæa, being a disciple of, &c. —xix. 38.

Through fear of the self-righteous Jews
Who Jesus secretly pursues,
And lurks awhile unknown,
May out of weakness be made strong
And bold before the worldly throng
His Lord and Saviour own.

Soon as His death confers the grace
Jesus we unashamed confess;
His weakest follower, I
Appear undaunted in His cause,
Live in the spirit of His cross
Or dare for Christ to die.

2267.

[Who all our sin and weakness knows]

There came also Nicodemus, which at the first, &c. —xix. 39.

Who all our sin and weakness knows,
Strength in the' appointed time bestows
To answer His design:
But oft in love our cure delays,
To make the virtue of His grace
With brightest lustre shine.

If first to Christ by night we came,
If still our stronger brethren blame
Our feeble-mindedness,
We trust at that distinguish'd hour
To claim Him boldly, and with power
In life and death confess.

2268.

[Who our mortality put on]

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound, &c. —xix. 40.

Who our mortality put on,
Our burial clothes vouchsafes to wear;

And when these bodies we lay down,
Dress'd in the wedding robe we are,
As such our burial clothes esteem,
When worn and sanctified by Him.

Of spices all His garments smell,
Aloes and myrrh and cassia breathe:
Our faithful souls perceive and feel
The fragrant virtue of His death;
His death doth dying sinners cheer,
His death perfumes the sepulchre.

2269.

[Death and the grave their baleful power]

Now in the place where He was crucified there, &c. —xix. 41.

Death and the grave their baleful power,
Their dread commission to devour
In Eden's garden first obtain'd,
And since on all mankind have reign'd:
Disarm'd they in a garden are,
O'ercome, their Conqueror's strength declare,
Who doth to us the victory give,
Who died that all mankind may live.

2270.

[The only sinless Man and just]

In the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was, &c. —xix. 41.

The only sinless Man and just
He cannot mix with common dust,
But born of a pure virgin's womb,
Must rise out of a virgin-tomb;
The tomb is new where Christ is laid,
New is the heart for Jesus made,
And all His purity receives,
While God in man for ever lives.

2271.

[Here lies of life the' immortal Prince]

There laid they Jesus. —xix. 42.

Here lies of life the' immortal Prince
Under arrest for all our sins!

Our Surety hath procured our peace,
Discharged we are by His release;
The sun is vanish'd from our sight:
But Conqueror of the shades of night
He rises brighter than before,
He rises soon to set no more.

Prisoner of death, and silent here
He lies, till the third morn appear;
And then returns to life again,
And death is by his Captive slain;
The grave is now for us o'ercome,
Our bodies ransom'd from the tomb
After our Head triumphant rise,
And wear His glories in the skies.

2272.

[My faith with joy and wonder sees]

My faith with joy and wonder sees
Jesus Thy sacred obsequies,
A burial which has power to save
From death, a burial of the grave!
It beautifies the hideous tomb,
It dissipates the frightful gloom,
Smoothly prepares my easiest bed,
The softest pillow for my head.

O that I now my wish might have,
And sink into my Saviour's grave;
O that this flesh no more oppress'd
With pain and sin, in hope might rest!
My soul disburden'd of its clay
On eagle's wings would soar away,
Behold the Sun with eagle's eyes,
And grasp my Lord in paradise.

[The Words Spoken on the Cross.]

[_]

[Seven “Short Hymns” on the words spoken on the Cross were inserted in the First Edition, under certain verses in St. Luke's Gospel, c. xxiii. As they were afterwards much enlarged and improved, it is deemed better, though at the risk of a little repetition, to place them together here in a complete form.]

2273.

[Expiring in the sinner's stead]

HYMN I.

“I thirst.” —John xix. 28.

Expiring in the sinner's stead,
“I thirst,” the Friend of sinners cries,
And feebly lifts His languid head,
And breathes His wishes to the skies.

Not for the vinegar they gave,
For life, or liberty, or ease;
He thirsted all the world to save;
He only thirsted after this.

He thirsted for this soul of mine,
That I might His salvation see,
That I might in His image shine;
Meek Lamb of God,—He long'd for me!

Willing that all His death should know,
And feel the virtue of His blood,
He thirsted to redeem His foe,
And reconcile a world to God.

And shall not we the same require,
And languish to be saved from sin?
Yes, Lord, 'tis all our heart's desire;
O wash, and make us pure within!

Be satisfied! We thirst for Thee,
We add our strong desire to Thine;
See then Thy soul's hard travail, see,
And die to make us all Divine.

2274.

[“Father, forgive the sinful race]

HYMN II.

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” —Luke xxiii. 34.

“Father, forgive the sinful race,
Who in My blood their hands imbrue;
O let that blood their sins efface;
Alas! they know not what they do.”

Hear the meek Lamb for sinners plead,
For those who nail'd Him to the tree;
He suffers in His murderers' stead;
He prays for all mankind, and me.

Our sins have nail'd Him to the wood;
Our sins the Prince of Life have slain,
Have spill'd His heart's last drop of blood;
Nor can He plead and pray in vain.

We are from all our sins released,
Who trust in that expiring groan;
In Him the Father is well-pleased;
He always hears His favourite Son.

“Forgive them,” gasps the parting breath,
And now the world may be forgiven,
God heard Him intercede beneath,
And seal'd the dying prayer in heaven.

“Forgive them,” still the Saviour cries,
Sprinkling the nations with His blood;
The blood of sprinkling fills the skies,
And speaks believers up to God.

2275.

[While hanging on the shameful cross]

HYMN III.

“Woman, behold thy son!” —John xix. 26.

While hanging on the shameful cross,
His scatter'd flock the Saviour sees,

Their wants His dying thoughts engross,
He marks and pities their distress:

He all their griefs and sorrows shares,
Nor even in death forgets His own,
But kindly for His orphans cares;
“Woman,” He saith, “behold thy son.”

To us the new command He gives,—
O may we all obedient prove,
And take the legacy He leaves,
His richest legacy of love.

Us each to other He commends,
And bids us in one Spirit join;
Unites, and makes us more than friends,
All kinsmen, in a bond Divine.

Then let us each to other give
The honour to a parent due,
And all with tenderest love receive,
A love which nature never knew.

Give, Jesus, give the' uniting grace,
The bond of charity Divine;
And let us all mankind embrace,
And love them with a love like Thine.

2276.

[O joyful sound of pardoning grace]

HYMN IV.

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

O joyful sound of pardoning grace;
All hail, Thou suffering Deity!
I too with Thee would take my place,
I too would gladly be with Thee.

Thy voice that dying sinner cheers,
And saves him at his latest hour,

To dissipate our guilty fears,
And show forth all Thy saving power.

O who can of Thy grace despair,
That sees the thief on yonder tree?
If he could find forgiveness there,
Surely forgiveness is for me.

Remember me, O Lord my God;
Thou art into Thy kingdom come;
Sprinkle my conscience with Thy blood,
And take my gasping spirit home.

Death, everlasting death, I own
The just reward of my offence:
But Thou hast naught of evil done;
Thou art all love, all innocence.

For Thy own sake pronounce the word;
Tell me, in answer to my cries,
“To-day thou shalt be with thy Lord,
And find in Me thy paradise.”

2277.

[Hear, earth and heaven, with wonder hear]

HYMN V.

“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” —Matt. xxvii. 46.

Hear, earth and heaven, with wonder hear,
That deepest note of grief unknown;
What means that strange mysterious prayer?
Can God desert His only Son?

Who heard Him speaking from the skies,
“I always am well-pleased in Thee,”
“My God, my God,” the Favourite cries,
“O why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

Didst Thou forget, Thou Man of Grief,
For whom Thou didst the death sustain?

Thy sore distress is our relief,
Thy loss is our eternal gain.

Didst Thou forget the kind design,
Which made Thee lay aside Thy crown?
That strange excess of love Divine,
Which brought the' incarnate Godhead down?

For whom didst Thou endure the cross?
For whom didst Thou consent to bleed?
Didst Thou not undertake our cause?
Didst Thou not suffer in our stead?

'Twas not for sin which Thou hadst done,
Thy angry Father hid His face;
But on Thy innocence was shown
The vengeance due to Adam's race.

Man, guilty man, by God abhorr'd,
Deserved His utmost wrath to know,
Driven from the presence of the Lord
To regions of eternal woe.

But Thou our sins and curse didst take,
That we might bless'd and holy be;
And Thee Thy Father did forsake,
That He might ne'er abandon me.

Deserted at Thy greatest need,
Thou know'st to pity what I feel:
My God, my God, Thy face is hid;
I wander on in darkness still.

Gross darkness, such as may be felt,
Egyptian night my soul o'erspreads;
My heart within like wax doth melt,
And on Thy cross my nature bleeds.

I taste the bitter cup, and share
Thine agonies and grief unknown,
Till Thou the' accomplishment declare,
And tell my inmost soul, “'Tis done!”

2278.

[The holy Jesus rests in hope]

HYMN VI.

“Into Thy hands I commend My spirit.” —Luke xxiii. 46.

The holy Jesus rests in hope,
And calm in death on God relies;
His parting spirit He gives up
Into His Father's hands, and dies.

Meek, patient Lamb, for us He gives
The life which none could take away,
And lays it down, and God receives
His soul into eternal day.

O might I thus my warfare end,
Meekly to God my soul resign,
Into my Father's hands commend!
O Jesus, let Thy death be mine!

I long with Thee to bow my head,
Offer'd upon Thy sacrifice;
With Thee to sink among the dead,
And in Thy life triumphant rise.

2279.

['Tis finish'd! The Messias dies]

HYMN VII.

“It is finished.” —John xix. 30.

'Tis finish'd! The Messias dies,
Cut off for sins, but not His own:
Accomplish'd is the sacrifice,
The great redeeming work is done.

100

'Tis finish'd! all the debt is paid;
Justice Divine is satisfied;
The grand and full atonement made;
God for a guilty world hath died.

The veil is rent in Christ alone;
The living way to heaven is seen;
The middle wall is broken down,
And all mankind may enter in.

The types and figures are fulfill'd;
Exacted is the legal pain;
The precious promises are seal'd;
The spotless Lamb of God is slain.

The reign of sin and death is o'er,
And all may live from sin set free;
Satan hath lost his mortal power;
'Tis swallow'd up in victory.

Saved from the legal curse I am,
My Saviour hangs on yonder tree:
See there the meek, expiring Lamb!
'Tis finish'd! He expires for me.

Accepted in the Well-beloved,
And clothed in righteousness Divine,
I see the bar to heaven removed;
And all Thy merits, Lord, are mine.

Death, hell, and sin are now subdued;
All grace is now to sinners given;
And, lo, I plead the' atoning blood,
And in Thy right I claim Thy heaven.

101

CHAPTER XX.

2280.

[When vanquishing our sloth and ease]

The first day of the week...early, when it was, &c. —xx. 1.

When vanquishing our sloth and ease,
We wait at Jesus' sepulchre,
The Lord removes the hindrances,
And scatters all our grief and fear,
Himself He to His mourners shows,
His Spirit in our hearts is shed,
Life on our drooping souls bestows,
And calls, and raises from the dead.

2281.

[A soul who hath the Saviour known]

Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, &c. —xx. 2.

A soul who hath the Saviour known,
And seen Him bleeding on the cross,
When Christ out of his sight is gone,
Most sensibly resents the loss,
He weeps disconsolate and sighs,
And tells to Jesus' friends his pain,
And restless every means he tries
To find his much-loved Lord again.

2282.

[The pastor call'd a soul to aid]

Peter...went forth, and that other disciple, &c. —xx. 3.

The pastor call'd a soul to aid
In search of Him who lives, though dead,
Should rise and run without delay,
And bring the mourners on their way;
Himself in haste his Lord to find
Should leave all earthly things behind,
But never from the tomb depart
Till Christ is risen in his heart.

2283.

[Swiftly the man whom Jesus loves]

So they ran both together: and the other disciple, &c. —xx. 4.

Swiftly the man whom Jesus loves
In quest of his Redeemer moves;

102

Sad Peter bears a load of woe,
And clogg'd with guilt and shame moves slow;
But soon he finds the Lord from heaven,
And much he loves when much forgiven,
On Jesu's cross his life lays down,
And first obtains the martyr's crown.

2284.

[O might I at the goal arrive]

O might I at the goal arrive,
And find the Crucified alive,
Outstrip my old companions here,
And foremost reach the sepulchre!
There let my peaceful ashes lie
Till my Redeemer bows the sky,
And Jesus, Conqueror of the grave
Returns, my quicken'd dust to save.

2285.

[Only thus by stooping low]

He stooping down, and looking in, saw, &c. —xx. 5.

Only thus by stooping low
By Divine humility,
Can I my Redeemer know,
Him who left the grave for me:
Prostrate faith with weary eyes
Looks into the sepulchre,
Sees the tokens of His rise,
Sees its living Lord appear.

2286.

[Can the grave a Christian scare]

Then cometh Simon Peter...and went into the, &c. —xx. 6.

Can the grave a Christian scare
Yawning like destruction's pit?
No undying worms are there,
Free from dread he enters it;
In the place where Christ was laid,
Calm he lays his body down,
Through the grave pursues his Head,
Through the cross obtains the crown.

103

2287.

[Christ returning to the skies]

And seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, &c. —xx. 6, 7.

Christ returning to the skies
Drops His mantle in His rise,
Marks of temporary death
Leaves the linen clothes beneath,
Puts His robes of glory on,
Reascends His Father's throne.

We the linen garments need
Left to sheet our softest bed,
Left in Jesus' grave they are
Ours to hallow and prepare;
There the separate napkin lies,
Left to dry the mourner's eyes.

2288.

[With hasty grief and fear]

Then went in also that other disciple, &c. —xx. 8.

With hasty grief and fear
Who seek the Crucified,
Visit the holy sepulchre,
And at His tomb abide;
I shall the proofs perceive,
The tokens more than see,
And quicken'd by His Spirit believe
He rose, to live in me.

2289.

[Expecting at Jesus's grave]

Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping. —xx. 11.

Expecting at Jesus's grave
The signs of His favour restored,
His virtue to quicken and save,
I sigh for a sight of my Lord!
My Only-beloved is gone,
Has left me in trouble and pain,
His Spirit alas is withdrawn!
Ah when shall I find Him again?

104

Forgotten of God and forsook,
Dissolved in an ocean of tears,
I into His sepulchre look
And mourn till a Saviour appears:
No vision of angels I prize,
Unless He His Spirit impart,
Unless the Delight of my eyes
Discover Himself to my heart.

Even now my affliction He sees,
Unseen, yet invisibly nigh
My Saviour observes my distress,
And marks with a merciful eye:
This burden of sorrow and pain
A glimpse of His face shall remove;
He waits to be gracious again,
To give me a sight of His love.

I turn from the creature away
To Him whom alone I desire,
He hears my infirmity pray
While Him of Himself I require;
Where is He, the Lord of my heart,
Whom only I languish to see?
As sure as in heaven Thou art,
Thou art with a mourner for Thee.

2290.

[It is the voice of my Beloved]

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned, &c. —xx. 16.

It is the voice of my Beloved,
My fears are fled, my griefs removed,
He calls a sinner by his name,
And He is mine, and His I am!
Jesus by a word made known,
Thee my gracious Lord I own.

My gracious Lord I know, Thou art,
The lawful Master of my heart,

105

I feel Thy resurrection's power;
And joyful at Thy feet adore;
Now I only live to prove
Thou art God, and God is love.

2291.

[Jesus, speak the word to me]

Jesus, speak the word to me,
Call me by my worthless name,
Then I shall my Master see,
Then I shall my Lord proclaim,
Quicken'd by Thy rising rise,
Follow after to the skies.

2292.

[While Thine earthly course was ending]

Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not, &c. —xx. 17.

While Thine earthly course was ending,
Thee the Son of God and man,
To Thy Father's arms ascending
Mary might not here detain:
In Thy state of exaltation
Now to sense no longer known,
Glorious God of our salvation,
Hail on Thy eternal throne!

Thee the theme of all their praises,
High extoll'd above all height
Seraphs see, and veil their faces,
Sinking in a flood of light:
Yet Thy ransom'd worms approach Thee,
See Thy smiling face and live,
Still by humble faith we touch Thee,
Thee into our hearts receive.

Faith effects the wondrous union,
Faith unfolds the mystery,
Sweetest spiritual communion,
Son of man, we have with Thee;
Faith its gracious Lord embraces,
Still by faith we clasp Thy feet,

106

Sit with Thee in heavenly places,
At Thy side for ever sit.

2293.

[Jesus, on this solemn day]

The same day at evening, being the first, &c. —xx. 19, 20.

Jesus, on this solemn day
To chase our fears and sins away,
Our living Lord appears:
Meet us, assembled in Thy name,
Stand in the midst, and now proclaim
That God is present here.

Present we know Thou always art:
But speak to every troubled heart
The reconciling word;
Show us Thy wounded hands and side,
And conscious of Thy blood applied,
We glory in the Lord.

Triumphant through Thy mortal pain
Thou dost the bleeding marks retain
To' excite our grateful love;
Thou still before Thy Father's eyes
Offer'st the precious sacrifice
Which bought our thrones above.

The vision of those glorious scars
Our fear dispels, our strength repairs,
And makes our Saviour known,
Emboldens us to serve Thy cause,
And joyfully embrace the cross
Connected with the crown.

2294.

[Jesus' word doth first convey]

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you. —xx. 21.

Jesus' word doth first convey
Peace into the anxious breast,
Peace which drives the fear away,
Earnest of eternal rest:

107

Then His wounds He plainly shows,
Then the raptured child of grace
Truly his Redeemer knows,
Sees his heaven in Jesus' face.

Peace the Saviour speaks again,
Peace to curb our joy extreme,
Peace which always shall remain,
Perfect peace with God in Him:
Then the kingdom we receive
'Stablish'd sure no more to move
Only for His glory live,
Only breathe to breathe His love.

2295.

[Jesus, Thy word till time shall end]

Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, &c. —xx. 21.

Jesus, Thy word till time shall end
The ministerial call imparts,
Thou only dost Thy servants send
By speaking peace into our hearts:
We then declare the things we know,
Ourselves assured of sin forgiven,
Glad tidings of salvation show,
And publish peace 'twixt earth and heaven.

Apostle of Thy Father Thee
Our peace we joyfully proclaim,
Strong in Thy Spirit's energy
Divulge the wonders of Thy name;
With Thy Divine commission sent
Ambassadors of the Most-High,
We call to all mankind—Repent;
Believe; obey; and mount the sky!

2296.

[The Breath of Christ, that Spirit is!]

He breathed on them. —xx. 22.

The Breath of Christ, that Spirit is!
Saviour, to me the gift impart,

108

To purge my sin, and seal my peace,
Thy Spirit breathe into my heart:
Ah, give me now the chaste desire,
The spotless love and purity,
With all Thy holiness inspire,
With all the mind which was in Thee.

Thou didst inspire his mortal frame,
Thou didst the breath of lives bestow,
And man a living soul became,
The portraiture of God below:
Thou dost inspire the life of grace,
And as a second soul confer,
The Holy Ghost on all our race,
The saints' eternal Comforter.

2297.

[If Thou ordain the minister]

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted, &c. —xx. 23.

If Thou ordain the minister
His word doth guilty souls release,
Doth with authority declare
The' appointed terms of gospel peace;
The poor self-desperate sinner feels
The truth we in Thy name assert,
And our report Thy Spirit seals
In pardon on the faithful heart.

2298.

[But how can we their guilt retain?]

And whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. —xx. 23.

But how can we their guilt retain?
The sons of infidelity
We tell, that still their sins remain
Uncancell'd, till they come to Thee:
The sentence we pronounce beneath
Thou dost confirm it in the skies,
The infidel abides in death,
And unconvinced, for ever dies.

109

2299.

[Jesu's followers all confess]

The other disciples...said unto him, We have, &c. —xx. 25.

Jesu's followers all confess
That Him they have beheld,
Known the bleeding Prince of Peace,
And felt His love reveal'd:
Yet I cannot trust their word,
Till, folding in my faith's embrace,
Him I find to life restored
Who suffer'd in my place.

2300.

[No, I never will believe]

Except I shall see in His hands the print, &c. —xx. 25.

No, I never will believe
Unless my Lord I see,
Proofs infallible receive
That Jesus died for me;
Meet Him risen from the dead,
Thrust my hand into His side,
Mark the prints the nails have made,
And feel His blood applied.

Slow of heart, Thou know'st I am;
Mine unbelief reprove,
Call me, Saviour, by my name,
In manifested love,
Condescend to my request,
My dying Lord, my pardoning God,
Come in all Thy wounds confess'd,
And wash me in Thy blood.

Sin and doubt to chase away,
A drooping soul to cheer,
Now Thy hands and feet display,
Divinely present here.
Show Thyself as crucified,
The' irrefragable tokens give,

110

Take into Thine open side,
And force me to believe.

2301.

[If but one faithless soul be here]

Again His disciples were within, and Thomas, &c. —xx. 26.

If but one faithless soul be here,
Jesus assembled with Thine own,
Wilt Thou not in the midst appear,
Thy resurrection's power make known,
Sprinkle the sinner with Thy blood,
And show Thyself his Lord and God.

Slower of heart than Thomas I
With Thy sincere disciples meet,
A conscious unbeliever sigh
For faith and pardon at Thy feet:
Thy feet alas, I cannot see,
Or feel the blood that flows for me.

But nothing can obstruct Thy way
Thou omnipresent God of love:
Come, Saviour come, Thy wounds display,
My stubborn unbelief remove,
And me among Thy people bless,
And fill our hearts with heavenly peace.

Occasion from my slowness take
Thy faithful follower to cheer,
For a poor abject sinner's sake,
Jesus, the second time appear,
Increase Thy saints' felicity,
And bless them all by blessing me.

2302.

[O how kind and condescending]

Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy, &c. —xx. 27.

O how kind and condescending
Is the sinner's Friend to me;
Ready with His balm attending
On my soul's infirmity!

111

The fresh tokens of His passion
He sets forth before my eyes,
Gives me many a demonstration
Of His life above the skies.

Jesus, Thee my God and Saviour
By those open scars I own,
Conscious of Thy love and favour,
Freely saved by grace alone;
Daily all my sins forgiving
Peace Divine Thy words impart,
“Be not faithless but believing”
Speaks Thy life into my heart.

2303.

[The sight without the touch compell'd]

My Lord and my God. —xx. 28.

The sight without the touch compell'd
His incredulity to yield,
And by Thy bleeding wounds subdued,
Thomas replied, My Lord, my God!
Thy wounds alone can conquer me,
Convince of Thy Divinity,
Assure that God is all my own,
And make my heart Thy peaceful throne.

Constrain'd I do at last believe,
And Thee, my Lord, my God receive,
Not man made God, but God made man,
Come down from heaven on earth to reign.
The only God and Lord Most-High,
Thou didst for faithless sinners die,
Didst rise to prove our sins forgiven,
And draw me after Thee to heaven.

2304.

[Sound in the faith, though weak and slow]

Because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed. —xx. 29.

Sound in the faith, though weak and slow,
My feeble faith, sincere I know,
Jesus vouchsafes to' approve,

112

Though long my Saviour I withstood,
He hath the infidel subdued
By manifested love.

Consenting to my Lord and God,
The grace Divine by Him bestow'd
The comfort I receive,
A witness of His quickening power,
The Author of my faith adore,
And consciously believe.

2305.

[That Man among the sons of men]

Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet, &c. —xx. 29.

That Man among the sons of men
With eyes of flesh we have not seen
And yet believe on Him,
That Man Jehovah's Fellow own
The Father's co-eternal Son,
Almighty and supreme.

Superior happiness we prove,
While Him, not having seen, we love,
Sure of our sins forgiven
Eternal life in faith we feel,
The ecstacies unspeakable,
The glorious joys of heaven.

2306.

[Faith comes by hearing of the word]

These are written, that ye might believe that, &c. —xx 31.

Faith comes by hearing of the word,
Comes to the heart by reading too,
While searching for our heavenly Lord,
Him in the sacred page we view,
Him whom the Holy Ghost reveals,
And pardon on our conscience seals.

Recorded in the' authentic book
While Jesu's life and death we read,

113

We for the promised Witness look
Who speaks Him risen from the dead:
Inspired, we then in Him rely
That Christ, that Son of the Most-High.

Jehovah's Son, declared with power,
We by His resurrection know,
Our Lord and God supreme adore,
Our Prophet, Priest, and King below,
Whose unction light and life imparts,
And grace and glory to our hearts.

Jesus, believing in Thy name,
We see the tree of life arise;
Thy grace removes the sword of flame,
And gives us back our paradise,
Feeds with immortalizing food,
And fills with the pure life of God.

Life, through the virtue of Thy love,
Spiritual life Divine, we gain;
With Thee our Head enthroned above
The closest fellowship maintain,
Till face to face our God we see,
Our full eternal Life in Thee.

CHAPTER XXI.

2307.

[The Saviour doth in various ways]

After these things Jesus shewed Himself, &c. —xxi. 1.

The Saviour doth in various ways
Himself to His disciples show;
He meets us, when we seek His face,
Assembled in His courts below:

114

He oft prevents our care and thought,
And while in common works employ'd,
Comes to us unforeseen, unsought,
And shows our hearts the living God.

2308.

[A fisher of men Will others invite]

Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. —xxi. 3.

A fisher of men Will others invite,
Each sinew to strain By day and by night,
With close application, The servants of sin,
The heirs of salvation, For Jesus to win.

But without their Lord Their efforts are vain,
The net of the word Will nothing obtain;
In darkness they labour With sorrow of heart,
One soul or one neighbour They cannot convert.

Yet Jesus regards Their services pass'd,
And fully rewards His workmen at last,
Their labours He blesses With wonders of grace,
And mighty successes, And sights of His face.

2309.

[The fishers of men In love should agree]

We also go with thee. —xxi. 3.

The fishers of men In love should agree,
And concord maintain Appointed by Thee,
Through every nation Good news to proclaim,
And publish salvation By faith in Thy name.

United in heart Together we go,
The gospel impart Which all men may know:
And sinners receiving Our record as Thine
Obtain by believing The fulness Divine.

2310.

[Their successors we find]

They went forth, and entered into a ship. —xxi. 3.

Their successors we find
In them and them alone
Who cast the pride of life behind,
And tread its pleasures down;

115

From each superfluous need,
From all ambition free,
Who love a toilsome life to lead
In patient poverty.

2311.

[See a rough draught of human life!]

But when the morning was now come, Jesus, &c. —xxi. 4.

See a rough draught of human life!
All is one continued strife,
Fatigue and misery!
A night of perilous distress,
Without relief, without success,
We tempt the stormy sea.

But when the dreary hour is o'er,
Jesus on the happy shore
Shall satisfy our need;
Shall bless us with the sight of God,
And with imperishable food
Our raptured spirits feed.

2312.

[Even now we know 'tis He, 'tis He!]

Even now we know 'tis He, 'tis He!
Him with eyes of faith we see
As in the haven stand;
Jesus our all-victorious God
Hath waded through a sea of blood
To that celestial land.

His work is done, His sufferings pass'd,
Safe arrived, He rests at last
In full supreme delight:
But we alas, are still at sea,
Compell'd in toil and jeopardy
To weather out the night.

Yet Him we trust who went before,
Jesus waiting on the shore
Our spirits to receive:

116

We soon shall reach that quiet place,
And through the vision of His face
In endless raptures live.

2313.

[Jesus sometimes by slow degrees]

The disciples knew not that it was Jesus. —xxi. 4.

Jesus sometimes by slow degrees
Himself to His disciples shows,
Darkly at first the sinner sees,
Nor yet his distant Saviour knows,
Surrounded with imperfect light
And half discover'd to the sight.

He speaks in tender pitying grace,
Kindly into our wants inquires,
His love's omnipotence displays,
To satiate our enlarged desires;
Feeds with His wonder-working word,
And then we cry, It is the Lord!

2314.

[Jesus the poor with pity sees]

Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have, &c. —xxi. 5.

Jesus the poor with pity sees,
He looks into our cottages,
Inquires with condescension sweet
My children, have ye aught to eat?
He bids us our requests make known,
Our burdens cast on Him alone,
Prevents the hungry beggar's prayer,
And feeds us with a father's care.

He knows our depth of poverty,
But wills that we ourselves should see,
Should humbly at His feet confess
Our utter want of every grace:
Saviour, we nothing have to eat;
Thou living Bread, Thou heavenly Meat,

117

Indulge us with a fresh supply,
Or wanting Thee, we faint and die.

2315.

[Providence extends its care]

Cast the net on the right side...and ye shall find. —xxi. 6.

Providence extends its care
To things minutely small,
Things the most contingent are
By wisdom order'd all:
Happy they who know His mind,
Obedient to His leading grace,
God in every action find,
And own in all their ways.

By Thy word and Spirit led
And providential will
Sure to prosper in our deed,
Our net at last we fill:
Fruitless pains and labours cross'd
Must finally successful be;
Nothing, Lord, was ever lost
By faithfulness to Thee.

2316.

[This comfort is for you]

They cast therefore, and now they were not, &c. —xxi. 6.

This comfort is for you,
Ye gospel fishermen,
Who patiently your work pursue
But seem to work in vain:
Your net persist to cast,
As Jesus' ministers,
And know, one happy draught at last
Will pay your toil of years.

2317.

[When Jesus gives the word]

When Jesus gives the word,
And doth their labours bless
The prosperous servants of the Lord
Admire their own success:

118

Appointed and employ'd
By Christ, His hand they own,
And all their fruit ascribe to God,
And praise His name alone.

2318.

[When God hath touch'd our souls, and brought]

When God hath touch'd our souls, and brought
Into the apostolic net,
A work miraculous is wrought,
But all is not effected yet:
So long so deeply plunged in sin,
We still are drawn by His command
Till He who did the work begin
Completes, and brings us all to land.

2319.

[Jesus is first perceived and known]

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved, &c. —xxi. 7.

Jesus is first perceived and known
By loving and quick-sighted John,
Who hastes the joyful news to tell,
And points Him out to Peter's zeal:
And Peter's fervent soul is stirr'd,
And springs with joy to grasp his Lord.

A faithful soul will never stay,
Though pain and death obstruct the way,
But venture all, his faith to prove,
And reach the Object of his love,
Rush through the flame, and swim the flood,
Or wade to Christ, through seas of blood.

O that they both in me might meet,
The zeal and love, the light and heat!
My Master dear I first would know,
To Him through fire and water go,
Danger and toil for Christ despise,
Or lose my life to gain the prize.

119

2320.

[Thy least disciple, I]

The other disciples came in a little ship, &c. —xxi. 8.

Thy least disciple, I
In this tempestuous sea
My business occupy
And urge my way to Thee,
My whole employ till life is o'er
To drag the net, and seek the shore;

My partners in the ship,
Master, vouchsafe to bless,
And help us through the deep
Into the port of peace;
Us, and whoe'er our pains have won
Receive, to feast around Thy throne.

2321.

[Miracles He multiplies!]

As soon then as they were come to land, they saw, &c. —xxi. 9.

Miracles He multiplies!
Ocean yields its hidden store,
Earth the plenteous meal supplies,
Both confess their Master's power!
Still He doth His followers feed,
Still He gives His labourers rest,
Fills our souls with living bread,
Brings us to His heavenly feast.

2322.

[Should we not on our labour live]

Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish, &c. —xxi. 10.

Should we not on our labour live,
Sufficient sustenance receive
Who minister the word?
Should we not seek the souls of men,
And whom our happy labours gain,
Present unto the Lord?

Master, they are not ours but Thine,
Caught in the net of love Divine,
The captives of Thy grace

120

A willing multitude receive;
And while their joyful hearts believe,
Their mouth shall speak Thy praise.

2323.

[We nothing catch with all our care]

Peter went up, and drew the net to land, &c. —xxi. 11.

We nothing catch with all our care,
Till He bestow the power;
And then we still unable are
To draw the net to shore:
The souls enclosed in Jesus' net
He helps us to bring on,
And by His influence to complete
The work His grace begun.

Sinners drawn forth out of the deep
Of sin and misery,
Lord, through Thy only name we keep,
Till we present to Thee;
We build them up in holiness,
In humble faith and love,
And bring them to that blissful place,
And land them safe above.

2324.

[When on that celestial land]

And for all there were so many, yet was not, &c. —xxi. 11.

When on that celestial land
Numbers without number stand,
And their differences are o'er
Satan can divide no more,
Neither strife nor sin remains,
Universal concord reigns.

All harmoniously combine,
One in unity Divine,
In the bond of perfectness,
Centre of eternal peace,

121

All compose the church above,
Church of pure consummate love.

2325.

[Christ to His servants condescends]

Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. —xxi. 12.

Christ to His servants condescends,
Invites and treats us as His friends,
Calls us to fellowship with Him
In grace and happiness supreme;
Admits us by His Father bless'd,
Partakers of the heavenly feast,
His glorious fulness to receive,
And in His blissful presence live.

2326.

[Conscious of Jesus near]

And none of the disciples durst ask Him, &c. —xxi. 12.

Conscious of Jesus near,
Struck dumb through humble fear,
While we feel His power and love
Taste unutterable peace,
Dare we in His presence move,
Need we ask Him who He is?

We know He is the Lord
By earth and heaven adored,
On His plenitude we feed,
Cannot doubt or disbelieve,
Take in Him the real bread,
Bread which none but God can give.

2327.

[Jesus, with heavenly bread]

Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and, &c. —xxi. 13.

Jesus, with heavenly bread
Thou dost Thy people feed,
Thoughtful of Thy meanest guest
Thou distributest the meat,
Master of the gospel feast
Thou bestow'st the power to eat.

122

All, all the blessings prove
Of Thy redeeming love
Thou who didst the Spirit buy
Dost to each the gift impart,
Dost the purchased grace apply,
Pardon write on every heart.

2328.

[Our crucified Head]

This is now the third time that Jesus, &c. —xxi. 14.

Our crucified Head
Is risen indeed!
His witnesses we
Are daily allow'd our Redeemer to see;
His presence He shows,
His blessing bestows,
And provides us our meat,
And admits us with Him at His table to sit.

By His Spirit made known
He visits His own,
Our Saviour appears,
And the needy relieves, and the comfortless cheers;
To purest delights
His disciples invites,
And His flesh is our food,
And He gives us to drink of His mystical blood.

The Saviour we love
We expect from above
In His body to come,
And receive His elect to our permanent home;
We shall see Him again
With His heavenly train,
And in triumph arise
His companions and friends to a feast in the skies.

123

2329.

[What shall I answer Thee?]

Lovest thou Me? —xxi. 15.

What shall I answer Thee?
I know Thy love to me,
Yet my impotence I mourn,
Kindest, loveliest as Thou art,
I can make Thee no return,
Till Thy grace renews my heart.

2330.

[He dares no more himself prefer]

Lovest thou Me more than these?...Yea, &c. —xxi. 15.

He dares no more himself prefer,
Or boast his own superior grace,
But humbly doth his love declare,
His question'd love with warmth express,
Urged by the thrice-repeated word,
The man who thrice denied his Lord.

But words will not suffice alone,
To' evince his love revived indeed:
The lambs whom Jesus calls His own,
The sheep he learns of Christ to feed,
And thus his strong affection proves
Who Jesus' flock sincerely loves.

2331.

[Peter had by experience found]

Lord, Thou knowest. —xxi. 15.

Peter had by experience found
That Thou omniscient art,
Whose piercing eye discerns the ground
Of each deceitful heart:
To Thee for what Thy grace hath done
He humbly now appeals,
And while he trusts Thyself alone
He all his weakness feels.

2332.

[No; my sin and shame I own]

He saith to him again the second time, &c. —xxi. 16.

No; my sin and shame I own,
Burden'd with an heart of stone,

124

Conscious of my misery,
Destitute of love to Thee.

But I can to Thee appeal,
Thee who lov'dst my soul so well,
Fain I would the grace obtain,
Love my loving Lord again.

Till the Crucified appears
Scattering all my griefs and fears,
Humbled in the dust I cry,
Give me love, or else I die.

Thou who freely didst resign
Thy own life to ransom mine,
Manifest the mystery,
Show Thy bleeding love for me.

Only Thy expiring pain
Can my stubbornness constrain:
But if Thou Thy death reveal
Then the riven rock shall feel;

Then I shall to Thee reply,
(Vanquish'd by Thy passion I,)
See the love Thy wounds impart,
Read it Saviour, in my heart.

2333.

[Thou know'st, that now I love Thee not]

Thou knowest that I love Thee. —xxi. 16.

Thou know'st, that now I love Thee not:
Thou know'st that Thee I long to love:
And Thou for me the power hast bought,
And wilt the cursed thing remove,
The sin with which I would not part,
Which keeps Thy love out of my heart.

Thy zeal to save my ransom'd soul
This thing impossible shall do,

125

And all my love of sin control,
Till love Divine my heart renew,
And force my joyful lips to own
I love Thee, Lord, and Thee alone!

2334.

[Jesus I long that grief to feel]

Peter was grieved because He said unto him, &c. —xxi. 17.

Jesus I long that grief to feel
Surpassing all the joys below,
That gracious grief unspeakable,
Which none but Thy true lovers know,
Grief inexpressible, to be
Suspected of not loving Thee.

Beloved by all Thou call'st Thine own,
Dear to the pardon'd soul Thou art;
But hast Thou made Thy goodness known
To me, or visited my heart?
O how shall I the secret find,
Or know the loving Saviour's mind?

Question'd if Thee indeed I love,
Saviour, how can I answer Thee?
The truth of my affection prove
Unless Thy Spirit speaks in me,
Reveals and sheds Thy love abroad,
And fills my simple heart with God?

O could I to the Lord appeal
For what the Lord in me hath wrought,
And quietly myself conceal,
By man unnoticed and forgot,
Thrice happy that my soul is known,
My love approved by God alone.

2335.

[Me Thou know'st my gracious God]

Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou, &c. —xxi. 17.

Me Thou know'st my gracious God,
Better than myself I know:

126

Thou hast shed Thy love abroad,
If I taste that heaven below:
If the grace I truly prove,
Ignorant of its degree,
Whether more or less I love,
Lord I leave it all to Thee.

Me Thou know'st; let that suffice,
All my thoughts to Thee appear:
Happy, if Thy glorious eyes
See with smiles my love sincere!
Only let me labour on,
Like the Shepherd good endure
Till I lay the body down,
Witness thus, my love is pure!

2336.

[Help me, Lord, to feed and keep]

Feed My lambs....Feed My sheep. —xxi. 15–17.

Help me, Lord, to feed and keep
First the lambs, and then the sheep,
Lambs to make my tenderest care,
Lambs within my arms to bear:
Both my happy charge I make,
Both I cherish for Thy sake,
Thus in life, and death to prove,
Loved of Thee, that Thee I love.

2337.

[Every shepherd under Thee]

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou, &c. —xxi. 18.

Every shepherd under Thee
His love by suffering shows,
Honour, ease, and liberty,
And life itself foregoes;
Life he carries in his hand,
All for Thee accounts but loss,
Ready still at Thy command
To die upon Thy cross.

127

2338.

[Nature innocently may]

Another shall...carry thee whither thou, &c. —xxi. 18.

Nature innocently may
The bitter cup decline,
While in Jesus' words we pray
Thy will be done, not mine;
Jesus' patient Spirit breathe,
Daily bleed and suffer on,
Die the Saviour's latest death,
And win the martyr's crown.

2339.

[Less by action than by patience]

This spake He, signifying by what death, &c. —xxi. 19.

Less by action than by patience
Bring we glory to our God;
Suffering sore and strong temptations,
Sin resisting unto blood,
We the strength of grace discover,
Plainly in our weakness seen,
Magnify our heavenly Lover,
Him who gives such power to men.

Thus the truth of God we witness,
Thus the truth of faith we prove,
Gain, and evidence our meetness
For the' inheritance above;
Jesus' perfect mind expressing,
With our Father's will comply,
Bless'd with all the gospel blessing,
Followers of the Lamb, we die.

2340.

[The hoary saint for heaven mature]

The hoary saint for heaven mature
Strengthen'd by this prophetic word,
Those after-sufferings to endure,
In bonds and death pursues his Lord;
His Lord and God he glorifies,
And on a cross like Jesus dies.

128

O for an end like his, whose sin
I have so often made my own,
Ten thousand times unfaithful been
To Christ, as one I ne'er had known,
Ten thousand times by deeds denied,
And trampled on the Crucified.

O could I first repent and prove
The bitterness of Peter's woe;
By labours of intensest love
My loyalty to Jesus show,
And feed His lambs, and feed His sheep,
Yet still go on my way and weep!

Then Lord—but trembling I forbear
To emulate the martyr's crown,
Yet suffer me Thy cross to share,
And lay with life the burden down,
And while Thou dost my spirit receive,
To echo Thy last word, Forgive!

2341.

[So Lord, let it be]

And when He had spoken this, He saith, &c. —xxi. 19.

So Lord, let it be,
With my soul I agree
To take up my cross, and to imitate Thee;
My Pattern to trace,
And walk in Thy ways,
By the labour of love, and the patience of grace.

I have nothing to do,
But to prove my love true,
And in every estate, my Example pursue;
To continue employ'd
For the glory of God,
By expending my life, or by shedding my blood.

129

On Thyself I depend
My steps to attend,
And my goings uphold till I come to the end,
Till I cross the rough tide
With the help of my Guide,
And am lost upon earth, and am found at Thy side.

2342.

[Lord, I would Thy servant be]

Follow Me. —xxi. 19.

Lord, I would Thy servant be;
Give me power to follow Thee,
Power to die the death Divine,
Power to live for ever Thine.

2343.

[He follows Christ unbidden]

Peter...seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, &c. —xxi. 20.

He follows Christ unbidden,
With silent steps pursues,
And sees his way to Eden,
Who Christ his Pattern views;
He makes no declaration
Of loyalty or zeal,
But feels a strength of passion,
Which saints can only feel.

His love by action spoken
Attracts the Saviour's eye;
He follows Christ in token
Of readiness to die:
He gives no explanation
Of that he doth record,
And seeks no approbation
But from his dearest Lord.

O that with John's affection
I could my Master trace,
Unmoved by man's inspection,
By man's reproach or praise!

130

Or if my deed I mention
In true simplicity
Rejoice that my intention
Is only known to Thee!

2344.

[Oft Thy weak disciple, I]

Peter seeing him saith to Jesus,...and what, &c. —xxi. 21.

Oft Thy weak disciple, I
Turn my wandering thoughts from Thee,
Oft into the future pry,
Ask what shall to-morrow be?
What doth Thy decree intend?
What shall happen to my friend?

But suffice the season pass'd:
Now Thy kind rebuke I hear,
All my care and thought at last
After Thee with heart sincere
Humbly, patiently to go;
Nothing save Thy cross to know.

From the curious vain desire
Let me, Lord, this moment cease;
Only for myself inquire
How I may my Master please,
Make my Saviour's glories known,
Live and die to God alone.

2345.

[Secret things belong to God]

If I will that he tarry till I come, what, &c. —xxi. 22.

Secret things belong to God,
What He will with others do,
Be it in His season show'd;
Only Christ I now pursue,
Nothing seek or know beside
Christ for sinners crucified.

131

What is all the world to me,
Follower of the Lamb Divine!
Closely copying after Thee,
Lord, if I am wholly Thine,
Bless'd with love's simplicity,
What is all the world to me!

2346.

[Shall we on tradition vain]

Then went this saying abroad among the, &c. —xxi. 23.

Shall we on tradition vain
In confidence rely,
Dream with apostolic men
That John could never die?
Error from the truth may spring,
From Jesu's own misconstrued word,
Saints in proof of falsehood bring
The saying of their Lord.

But by Jesus' word alone
The error we gainsay,
Truth divinely genuine own,
And legends cast away;
Thus we understand Thy mind,
(Wayfaring men who need not err!)
Scripture, with Thy Spirit, find
Its own interpreter.

2347.

[As truth His record we receive]

This is the disciple which testifieth of these, &c. —xxi. 24.

As truth His record we receive,
And Christ the one great God believe
The uncreated Word,
The only true and living Way
Which leads us to eternal day,
The vision of our Lord.

132

The innocent atoning Lamb
Who from His Father's bosom came
We faithfully embrace;
Assured His blood for all He shed,
And rose victorious from the dead,
A sinful world to raise.

His Spirit in our hearts hath seal'd
The word on which our faith we build,
The word of truth and love;
And Christ the' eternal Life, we know
Was manifested here below
That we may reign above.

Fountain of life and light Divine
We comprehend Thy love's design
Thy confessors increase,
The truth we live to ratify,
And witnessing the truth, we die,
In everlasting peace.

2348.

[If all were left upon record]

And there are also many other things, &c. —xxi. 25.

If all were left upon record
Which Jesus spoke and did for man,
His every gracious work and word
Not all earth's volumes would contain;
Nor could our narrow hearts receive
His mercies inexhaustible,
Nor could the faithless world believe
That Jesus loved their souls so well.

Impossible for man to read
The whole of Jesus' history;
And more than this we cannot need
Who know that Thou O Christ, art He!

133

The Way, the Truth, the Life Thou art;
And when I live, of Thee possess'd,
Thy Spirit in my loving heart
Supplies and teaches all the rest.

2349.

[Amen! we thus our seal set to]

Amen. —xxi. 25.

Amen! we thus our seal set to,
Our faith's entire assent subjoin,
That all and every word is true,
Inspired, infallible, Divine:
That all doth perfectly suffice
To' obtain the end for which 'tis given,
Able through faith to make us wise,
And fit us for our thrones in heaven.

University of Virginia Library