The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Men from her infancy have rose
Disturbers of the church's peace,
The yoke of needless things to' impose,
Of outward vain observances;
The gospel and the law to blend,
Deny the power of grace unknown,
As sinners would His doctrine mend
Nor suffer Christ to save alone.

Redeem'd through faith by blood Divine
They tell us now we cannot be,
Unless our righteous actions join
And Moses help to set us free:

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The Judaizing teachers cry
We must the grace through works receive,
We must ourselves the pardon buy
Which Jesus cannot freely give.

2684.

[Ought we to yield and condescend]

Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension, &c. —xv. 2.

Ought we to yield and condescend,
When Pharisees the truth gainsay,
Or strenuous for the faith contend
Which others silently betray?
The truth opposed we boldly own
That all are saved by grace alone.

Who but the' apostles of the Lamb
Shall this important point decide?
They teach through faith in Jesus' name
Sinners are freely justified;
And the whole church this doctrine calls
The truth by which she stands or falls.

2685.

[Occasion of great joy and praise]

They declared all things that God had done with them. —xv. 4.

Occasion of great joy and praise,
We to the church afford,
Who tell the miracles of grace,
The goodness of our Lord:
His only goodness we declare,
Who all the work hath done,
And humbly seek with jealous care
To' exalt our God alone.

2686.

[Faith, which when it comes, sets free]

Certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, &c. —xv. 5.

Faith, which when it comes, sets free
And purifies the heart,
Doth not perfect purity
And light at once impart:
Errors and mistakes remain,
And various prepossessions blind:

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Purged by Christ from every stain
We know not all His mind.

Justified through faith alone
We may in Babel dwell,
May in words the truth disown
Which in our hearts we feel;
Still as saved by works and grace
To Moses and his law incline,
Add our human righteousness
To righteousness Divine.

2687.

[Jesus their true and constant Guide]

The apostles and elders came together for, &c. —xv. 6.

Jesus their true and constant Guide
Had promised with the church to stay,
In His unerring Spirit to' abide
And lead them in the perfect way:
Yet dared they not the help refuse
Which nature's God did first bestow,
Who will'd them all the light to use
That reason sanctified could show.

2688.

[Happy the man by Jesus sent]

God made choice among us, that the Gentiles, &c. —xv. 7

Happy the man by Jesus sent,
Mercy's chosen instrument
That sinners may receive
The gospel of redeeming grace,
Their Friend and Peacemaker embrace,
And savingly believe.

Oh that the happiness were mine!
Lamb immaculate Divine,
I would Thy love proclaim,
Declare how full of grace Thou art,
That heathens poor in life and heart
May truly bear Thy name.

298

While at my mouth the outcasts hear
Tidings of salvation near,
Of present, endless rest,
Saviour, let faith by hearing come,
The weary prodigals bring home
And lodge them in Thy breast.

2689.

[The witness of the Lord is sure]

God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them, &c. —xv. 8.

The witness of the Lord is sure
Who only can impart
The faith which makes a sinner pure,
The love which fills his heart:
Proof incontestable He gives,
And all may see and know
That every true believer lives
As Jesus lived below.

By works of outward righteousness
They show the root within,
The Spirit of sanctifying grace
In all His fruits is seen;
His holy name and character
In them the Father owns,
And all their spotless lives declare
They are His genuine sons.

2690.

[God of grace, vouchsafe to me]

God...giving them the Holy Ghost,...purifying, &c. —xv. 8, 9.

God of grace, vouchsafe to me
That Spirit of holiness,
Sighs my heart for purity,
And pants for perfect peace;
Spirit of faith, the blood apply,
Which only can my filth remove,
Fill my soul, and sanctify
By Jesu's heavenly love.

299

2691.

[By Thy Spirit's inspiration]

By Thy Spirit's inspiration
Bid my evil thoughts depart,
All the filth of pride and passion,
Purge out of my faithful heart:
Then I shall with joy embrace Thee,
Meet to see Thy face above,
Then I worthily shall praise Thee,
Then I perfectly shall love.

2692.

[The unbelieving heart's unclean]

Purifying their hearts by faith. —xv. 9.

The unbelieving heart's unclean,
The faithful heart is purged by sin
While Christ His blood applies,
Which cleanses us from every stain,
Sprinkles and washes us again,
And daily purifies.

He will not first bestow on me
The faith and then the purity,
But both at once impart;
And when His mercy He reveals,
In love Divine His Spirit seals
My pardon on my heart.

My heart is set on things above,
Detach'd from every creature love;
And more and more renew'd,
Closer and closer still I cleave
To Him, and grace for grace receive
Through His atoning blood.

Lord, if Thou dost my faith approve
And Thee in some degree I love,
My little faith increase;

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So shall I know and love Thee more,
Till fill'd with all Thy Spirit's power,
With all Thy holiness.

Contemplating Thy shining face
Reflected in the gospel glass,
I too, like Thee, shall shine,
Shall put Thy brightest glories on,
Clothed with the uncreated Sun
Of righteousness Divine.

Yet something still Thou know'st will be
Lacking in faith and purity
Till Thou the want supply;
I then the crowning grace receive,
And Thou who giv'st me faith to live.
Wilt give me faith to die.

2693.

[Mine earnest expectation]

Mine earnest expectation
Is to its Author known;
I thirst for Thy salvation,
I gasp for God alone.
I want the constant Witness
Of my Redeemer's love,
The' anticipating fitness
For all the joys above.

O might Thy hallowing Spirit
My soul for heaven prepare,
And make me meet to' inherit
The highest raptures there!
Not by a single blessing
Or sudden stroke of grace,
But through Thine act unceasing
I trust to see Thy face.

While on Thy blood relying
My Saviour I adore,

301

Thy Spirit sanctifying
Shall change me more and more
From glory into glory,
Till quite mature I rise
Thy bliss untransitory
To share in paradise.

2694.

[If God the Holy Ghost impart]

If God the Holy Ghost impart,
The living faith bestow,
His Spirit purifies the heart,
And makes us white as snow:
The heart that in His Son believes
Is purged from every stain,
And he who still to Jesus cleaves
Shall never sin again.

O would my gracious God confer
The Spirit of faith on me,
A foul desponding sinner cheer
By peace and purity!
Father in me reveal Thy love
If reconciled Thou art,
And all the filth of sin remove,
And keep my sprinkled heart.

The heart which in Thy Son confides
No longer is unclean,
Where Purity Himself resides
It must be pure from sin;
O may He dwell by faith in mine,
And thus Himself explain,
The real Holiness Divine
The perfect love in man!

2695.

[What but the Spirit of faith Divine]

What but the Spirit of faith Divine
Can purify a heart like mine,

302

The seat of every noisome lust,
Unclean, unholy, and unjust,
The sink of pride and vanity,
As Satan's, contrary to Thee.

Yet if in me Thy Spirit dwell
The Pledge, the Witness, and the Seal,
My heart shall lose its inbred stain,
Holy, and just, and pure remain;
Free from concupiscence, and pride,
While God doth in His house reside.

Thy presence makes the hallow'd place,
And keeps the vessel of Thy grace;
Thy presence saves my soul from sin,
Which never more shall enter in,
When Thou art with Thy Father come
To fill Thine everlasting home.

2696.

[Who can the yoke of Moses bear?]

A yoke...which neither our fathers nor we, &c. —xv. 10.

Who can the yoke of Moses bear?
It drives a sinner to despair;
Crushes the soul, but not relieves,
Commands, but no assistance gives,
Confounds, but not destroys our pride,
And lets us still in death abide.

The law our irksome duty shows,
But no obedient power bestows,
It brings us light and knowledge vain
More to increase our sin and pain,
It aggravates our heaviest load,
And leaves us to the curse of God.

But Jesus' death hath set us free
From sin and curse and penalty;
For us He purchased on the cross
A power to keep His righteous laws,

303

To bear His easy yoke, and prove
All His commands fulfill'd in love.

2697.

[Not by a legal righteousness]

But we believe that through the grace of the, &c. —xv. 11.

Not by a legal righteousness,
Or works ourselves have done,
But freely saved we are by grace
Through faith in Christ alone:
Our God is pleased to justify
Who in His Son believe;
And when we first on Him rely
The pardon we receive.

Through faith we then are saved by grace
From sin's oppressive power,
And pure in heart behold His face,
And God in Christ adore;
Through faith we claim His whole desert,
And in His image shine,
Created after His own heart
In holiness Divine.

The power of efficacious love
In each believing soul
Doth all remains of sin remove,
And sanctify the whole:
And thus prepared with God to live
We lay our bodies down,
And faith's triumphant end receive
In an immortal crown.

2698.

[Who Jesus revere]

Then all the multitude...gave audience to, &c. —xv. 12.

Who Jesus revere
To His servants give ear,
While we publish and show
The miraculous work of His mercy below;

304

His astonishing grace
To the reprobate race,
Who are saved and set free
By a sight of the Lamb, as He hangs on the tree.

They had nothing to plead,
Not a word, or a deed,
Not a truly good thought,
When His mercy appear'd with a pardon unsought.
They were strangers to God,
An heathenish crowd,
They had nothing to pay,
When He wash'd all their sins in a moment away.

Freely pardon'd they were,
And to sinners declare,
Who all evil have done
May with them be absolved by His mercy alone;
By believing in Him
Ever near to redeem
A poor desperate race,
And to save the whole world by His wonderful grace.

2699.

[Thee Jesus, and Thy church below]

I will return, and will build again the, &c. —xv. 16.

Thee Jesus, and Thy church below
In David and his house we see,
The souls which sin did once o'erthrow
Shall they not rise restored by Thee?
Surely Thou wilt Thy house repair,
And fix Thy constant presence there.

We look for our returning Lord
To raise the nations from their fall;
Thou wilt according to Thy word,
In pardoning grace appear to all,
Visit the whole apostate race,
And stir them up to seek Thy face.

305

The Heathens still Thy creatures are,
Blind children of a God unknown,
Thy work, their Maker's name they bear
Whose blood did for their sins atone;
And those who bear the Christian sign,
Heathens baptized, are doubly Thine.

Come then, and claim Thy property,
Thou Friend and lover of mankind,
Let every soul be found in Thee,
In Thee his great Restorer find,
That all our ransom'd world may own
The saving work is all Thine own!

2700.

[Nothing can escape Thine eye]

Known unto God are all His works from, &c. —xv. 18.

Nothing can escape Thine eye
Who at a single view
Past and future dost descry,
And all Thy works look through:
All Thy works at once are known,
And grasp'd by Thine immensity;
Present, past, to come are one
Eternal now with Thee!

All Thy other works are wrought
That Thy great work of grace
May be to perfection brought
In the peculiar race;
Stands the world for this alone,
That here prepared to reign with Thee,
Saints may soon ascend Thy throne,
And God for ever see!

2701.

[The authors of their flock's distress]

Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain, &c. —xv. 24.

The authors of their flock's distress
Wise pastors will forbear to name,

306

Yet openly their mind express
And all erroneous guides disclaim;
The faithful should the false deny,
Though of their own community,
The zealots blind who preach a lie,
And contradict our God's decree.

Full of a false misguided zeal
The genuine gospel they debase,
Greatly withstand the men who tell
Poor souls that they are saved by grace:
Poor souls unsettled they subvert,
And from the gospel hope remove;
And nothing can repair the hurt
But true, Divine, enlighten'd love.

2702.

[Happy church when all are join'd]

It seemed good unto us, being assembled with, &c. —xv. 25.

Happy church when all are join'd
In one spirit, heart, and mind,
In the truth's defence agree,
In the bond of charity
All at Jesus' glory aim,
All rejoice to speak the same!

None affects dominion there,
Challenges the' unerring chair;
None the hoodwink'd people guides,
Magisterially decides,
Bids the rest submit to him
Judge infallible, supreme.

On the common good intent
All conspire with one consent
Peace and concord to restore,
Saints aspire to nothing more;
Only seek by this to prove
Jesus and His church they love.

307

2703.

[Unworthy of the ministry]

Men that have hazarded their lives for the, &c. —xv. 26.

Unworthy of the ministry
Most unqualified is he
Who doth not life despise,
For Jesus and His church below,
And freely to the mountain go
Where his Redeemer dies.

Jesus, if Thou my Master art,
Bless me with the martyr's heart,
The ministerial grace;
I then Thy ready servant am,
And all the virtues of Thy name
In life and death confess.

2704.

[Who then shall needless things impose]

It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, &c. —xv. 28.

Who then shall needless things impose
Their own authority to prove,
Or make new laws to govern those
That, subject to their Saviour's love,
Deny the Antichristian claim,
And bow to none but Jesus' name?

Authority in things Divine
Belongs to God and God alone:
Whate'er His oracles enjoin
Our only rule of life we own:
And rulers by His power are seal'd
To see the laws of Christ fulfill'd.

2705.

[The solemn interdict of blood]

Abstain...from blood. —xv. 29.

The solemn interdict of blood
(In honour of the blood Divine
Which life on all mankind bestow'd)
The Spirit did Himself enjoin;

308

The church by His direction led
With cordial unanimity
The' original command obey'd,
And ratified their Lord's decree.

From Noah's down to Moses' days
From Moses to our God reveal'd,
Beyond the apostolic race
The law continued unrepeal'd;
After a length of ages pass'd
Who then so greatly could presume
To cancel the decree at last?
The man of sin that reigns at Rome.

2706.

[Let teachers false their sentence close]

From which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall, &c. —xv. 29.

Let teachers false their sentence close
With dire anathemas and woes,
Let the fierce partisans of Rome
To death and sure damnation doom;
The' apostles of the Lamb we see
With love confirm their mild decree;
Love is the truth's authentic seal,
And bids obedient souls Farewell.

2707.

[If one concise epistle read]

When they had read, they rejoiced for the, &c. —xv. 31.

If one concise epistle read
Did such abundant comfort give,
Such mighty joy administer'd,
What may we not from all receive
By the inspiring Spirit given
That saints on earth may reign in heaven!

The sacred book on man bestow'd
But one Divine epistle is,
Which teaches the whole mind of God,
Which fills our hearts with heavenly bliss,

309

And makes unto salvation wise,
And gives us thrones above the skies.

2708.

[Jesus our Desire and Hope]

Judas and Silas, being prophets also, &c. —xv. 32.

Jesus our Desire and Hope,
All Thy church's wants supply,
Raise Thy preaching servants up,
Send them forth to prophesy,
Fill their mouths with words of grace,
Fill their lives with righteousness.

Taught to teach Thy people here
By the unction from above,
Blessings let them minister,
Build us up in faith and love,
Execute Thy saving plan,
Bring us to a perfect man.

2709.

[God to apostolic men]

They were let go in peace: notwithstanding, &c. —xv. 33, 34.

God to apostolic men
An holy freedom leaves,
By some secret way unseen
The true direction gives:
Oft His servant's heart inclines
To that or this distinguish'd place,
Answers thus His own designs,
And manifests His grace.

2710.

[Dispensers of the gospel grace]

Let us go again and visit our brethren in, &c. —xv. 36.

Dispensers of the gospel grace
Visit their flock in every place,
The state of each to see;
To water what their hands had sow'd,
And mark their children's growth in good,
In faith, and charity.

310

The church engrosses all their care;
Anxious how every soul may fare
They every soul attend,
From place to place unwearied go,
Till all their faithful toils below
In rest eternal end.

2711.

[Deserters willing to come back]

Barnabas determined to take with them John, &c. —xv. 37.

Deserters willing to come back
We should like Barnabas receive,
And yet of Paul example take
Nor fugitives uncensured leave,
Lest others should embolden'd be
As hirelings from the flock to flee.

'Tis not a slight offence to start
And quit the post by heaven assign'd;
If once from Jesus I depart,
And cast the care of souls behind,
Whoe'er the penitent receive,
I never can myself forgive.

2712.

[Why were they left to disagree?]

The contention was so sharp between them, &c. —xv. 39.

Why were they left to disagree?
Not to encourage sin,
Or prove the' impossibility
Of constant peace within;
Not to confirm the daring lie
'Gainst Christ the Finisher,
Or countenance the men who cry
“There's no perfection here.”

The fault, if fault indeed there was,
In one apostle stood,
Eagerly partial in the cause
Of his own flesh and blood:

311

And God to teach us watchfulness
Let the sharp contest rise,
That we may pray, and never cease
Till harbour'd in the skies.

Saviour, by Thy permissive will
The fellow-labourers part
The gracious counsels to fulfil
Of Thy most loving heart;
They part to' advance the work Divine,
To spread Thy victory,
And by the separation join
Ten thousand more to Thee.

2713.

[The pastor when his flock he leaves]

Paul...departed, being recommended, &c. —xv. 40.

The pastor when his flock he leaves,
A parting benediction gives;
The flock his prosperous labours shares,
And helps the pastor by their prayers,
His fatherly concern approve
With piety of filial love.

To God each other they commend,
And showers of grace on both descend;
In body for a while they part,
Inseparable still in heart;
To earth's remotest corners driven,
They part below to meet in heaven.

2714.

[He lost his ancient colleague's aid]

He went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming, &c. —xv. 41.

He lost his ancient colleague's aid,
But Jesus left him not alone,
Himself with His apostle stay'd,
His all-sufficient grace made known;
And lo, with double power endow'd
He flies to build the church of God.

312

Lord of the gospel-harvest, give
Such labourers now Thy church to raise,
That saints entirely Thine may live,
Stablish'd in truth and righteousness,
Strong in the faith which cannot move,
Sunk in the lowest depths of love.

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XV.

2683.

[Men from her infancy have rose]