The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

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.

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XX.

2280.

[When vanquishing our sloth and ease]