The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

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.

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XVI.

2140.

[Ye of the Christian sect]