The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the Good of the Land.—But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the Sword: For the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Isa. i. 19, 20.

I. THE NINTH CHAPTER OF DANIEL.

O God, the great the fearful God,
To Thee we humbly sue for peace;
Groaning beneath a nation's load,
And crush'd by our own wickedness,
Our guilt we tremble to declare,
And pour out our sad souls in prayer.

Thee we revere, the faithful Lord,
Keeping the covenant of Thy grace,
True to Thine everlasting word,
Loving to all who seek Thy face,
And keep Thy kind commands, and prove
Their faith by their obedient love.

But we have only evil wrought,
Have done to our good God despite,
Rebellious with our Maker fought,
And sinn'd against the gospel light,
Departed from His righteous ways,
And fallen, fallen from His grace.

We have not hearken'd to the word
Thy prophets and apostles spoke;
In them we disobey'd their Lord;
Our princes have cast off the yoke,
Our kings Thy sovereign will withstood,
Our fathers have denied their God.

The rich and poor, the high and low,
Have trampled on Thy mild command;
The floods of wickedness o'erflow
And deluge all our guilty land;
People and priest lie drown'd in sin,
And Tophet yawns to take us in.

Righteousness, Lord, belongs to Thee,
But guilt to us, and foul disgrace;
Confusion, shame, and misery
Is due to all our faithless race,
Scatter'd by sin where'er we rove,
Vile rebels 'gainst Thy pardoning love.

Confusion, misery, and shame
Our loudly-crying sins require,
Our princes, kings, and fathers claim
Their portion in eternal fire,
For all the downward path have trod,
For all have sinn'd against their God.

But O, forgivenesses are Thine
Far above all our hearts conceive,
The glorious property divine
Is still to pity and forgive,
With Thee is full redemption found,
And grace doth more than sin abound.

All may in Thee our gracious Lord
Forgivenesses and mercies find,
Though we Thy warnings have abhorr'd,
And cast Thy precepts all behind,
The voice divine refused to' obey,
And started from Thy plainest way.

All Israel have transgress'd Thy law,
And therefore did the curse take place;
Our sins did all Thy judgments draw
In showers on our devoted race,
Thou hast fulfill'd Thy threatening word,
We bear the fury of the Lord.

Justly we all Thine anger bear,
Chastised for our iniquity,
Yet made we not our humble prayer,
Yet have we not return'd to Thee,
Renounced our sins, or long'd to prove
The truth of Thy forgiving love.

Therefore the Lord, the jealous God,
Hath watch'd to bring the evil day,
Bruised us with His avenging rod,
Who would not His still voice obey:
Righteous is God in all His ways:
We forced Him to withdraw His grace.

Yet now, O Lord our God, at last
Our sins and wickedness we own;
We call to mind Thy mercies past,
The ancient days of Thy renown,
The wonders Thou for us hast wrought,
The arm that out of Egypt brought.

O Lord, according to Thy love,
Thy utmost power of love, we pray
Thine anger and Thy plague remove;
Turn from Jerusalem away
The curse and punishment we feel,
Thou know'st we are Thy people still.

The holy mountain of our God,
The city Thou hast built below,
Thy people, though dispersed abroad,
A proverb of reproach and woe,
We have our fathers' sins fill'd up,
And drunk the bitter trembling cup.

Now then acknowledge us for Thine,
Regard Thine humbled servants' prayer,
And cause on us Thy face to shine,
The ruins of Thy church repair;
O, for the sake of Christ the Lord,
Let all our souls be now restored.

My God, incline Thine ear, and hear,
Open Thine eyes our wastes to see;
Thy fallen desolate Sion cheer,
The city which is named by Thee;
Not for our cry the grace be shown,
But hear, in Jesus, hear Thine own.

All our desert, we own, is hell,
But spare us for Thy mercy's sake,
We humbly to Thy grace appeal,
And Jesus' wounds our refuge make;
O let us all Thy mercy prove,
The riches of Thy pardoning love.

O Lord, attend; O Lord, forgive;
O Lord, regard our prayer, and do;
Hasten, my God, and bid us live,
The fulness of Thy mercy show,
Thy city and Thy people own,
And perfect all our souls in one.

II. [God of infinite compassion]

God of infinite compassion,
God of unexhausted love,
From a sinful sinking nation
Once again Thy plagues remove:
Snatch us from the jaws of ruin;
See Thy helpless people, see!
Death and hell are close pursuing,
Save, O save us into Thee.

Have we not fill'd up the measure
Of our daring wickedness,
Challenged all Thy just displeasure,
Quench'd the Spirit of Thy grace?
Yes, our heinous provocations
For Thy heaviest judgments cry:
We have wearied out Thy patience,
Forced Thy love to let us die.

Why should not the dreadful sentence
Now on all our souls take place?
Why should not Thine instant vengeance
Swallow up our faithless race?
How can we expect Thy favour?
Good and gracious as Thou art,
Sinner's Advocate and Saviour,
Find the answer in Thy heart!

Jesus, mighty Mediator,
Plead the cause of guilty man:
Pity is Thy gentle nature;
Canst Thou let us cry in vain?
From Thy Father's anger screen us,
Suffer not His wrath to move;
Stand Thou in the gap between us,
Change His purpose into love.

III. [Jesu, sin-atoning Lamb]

Jesu, sin-atoning Lamb,
Thine utmost pity show;
All the virtue of Thy name
O let Thy rebels know!
Us, by God and man abhorr'd,
Into Thy kind protection take;
Spare the guilty nation, Lord,
For Thy own mercy's sake.

Worst of all the' apostate race,
Yet listen to our cry;
Most unworthy of Thy grace,
Without Thy grace we die;
Tophet is our just reward,
Yet snatch us from the burning lake,
Spare the guilty nation, Lord,
For Thy own mercy's sake.

Scandal of the Christian name,
Which still we vainly bear,
Sodom like, our sin and shame
We openly declare,
Trample on Thy sacred word,
And cast Thy laws behind our back:

Spare the guilty nation, Lord,
For Thy own mercy's sake.

Though Thy judgments are abroad,
Let us Thy goodness prove;
Save us, O all-gracious God,
In honour of Thy love:
Though Thy righteous wrath is stirr'd,
Arising slow, the earth to shake,
Spare the guilty nation, Lord,
For Thy own mercy's sake.

In our forty days reprieve,
Warn the rebellious race;
Bid us turn, repent, and live
To glorify Thy grace;
O reverse the threatening word,
And do not, do not vengeance take,
Spare the guilty nation, Lord,
For Thy own mercy's sake.

O alarm the sleeping crowd,
And fill their souls with dread;
Then avert the lowering cloud,
Impendent o'er our head:
Turn aside the' invading sword,
And drive the alien armies back;
Spare the guilty nation, Lord,
For Thy own mercy's sake.

IV. [Merciful God, to Thee we cry]

Merciful God, to Thee we cry,
O think upon us, or we die
The ever-living death!

Lo! by a mighty tempest tost,
Our ship without Thine aid is lost,
Lost in the gulf beneath.

The mariners are struck with fear,
And shudder at destruction near,
So high the billows swell,
Ready to' o'erwhelm our shatter'd state;
Thy judgments fall with all their weight,
To crush us into hell.

Ah! wherefore is this evil come?
Show us, Omniscient God, for whom
Thy plagues our church befall:
Give, while we ask, a righteous lot,
And let the guilty soul be caught,
Who brings Thy curse on all.

With trembling awe we humbly pray,
Now, now the secret cause display
Of our calamity;
Whose sins have brought Thy judgments down?
Alas, my God, the cause I own,
The lot is fallen on me!

I am the man, the Jonas I,
For me the working waves run high;
For me the curse takes place:
I have increased the nation's load;
I have call'd down the wrath of God
On all our helpless race.

With guilty, unbelieving dread
Long have I from His presence fled,
And shunn'd the sight of heaven:

In vain the pardoning God pursued;
I would not be by grace subdued,
I would not be forgiven.

I know the tempest roars for me,
Till I am cast into the sea
Its rage can never cease:
Here then I to my doom submit,
Do with me as Thy will sees fit,
But give Thy people peace.

Save, Jesu, save the sinking ship;
And lo! I plunge into the deep
Of all Thy judgments here:
I fall beneath Thy threatenings, Lord;
But let my soul, at last restored,
Before Thy face appear.

Beneath Thine anger's present weight
I sink, and only deprecate
Thy sorer wrath to come:
Give me at last in Thee a part,
And now, in mercy, now avert
The guilty nation's doom.

O bid the angry waves subside,
Into a calm the tempest chide
By Thy supreme command;
Thou in our broken ship remain,
Till every soul the harbour gain,
And reach the heavenly land.

V. [Sinners, the call obey]

Sinners, the call obey,
The latest call of grace;
The day is come, the vengeful day
Of a devoted race:
Devils and men combine
To plague the faithless seed,
And vials full of wrath divine
Are bursting on your head.

Enter into the Rock,
Ye trembling slaves of sin,
The Rock of your salvation, struck,
And cleft to take you in:
To shelter the distress'd
He did the cross endure;
Enter into the clefts, and rest
In Jesus' wounds secure.

Who would not fear the Lord,
Glorious in majesty!
His justice stern hath drawn the sword;
To His compassion flee:
Vengeance He comes to take,
He comes His wrath to show;
He rises terribly to shake
The drowsy world below.

See how His meteors glare!
(The tokens understand!)
Famine, and pestilence, and war
Hang o'er the guilty land!

Signs in the heavens see,
And hear the speaking rod;
Sinner, the judgment points to thee,
Prepare to meet thy God!

Terrible God! and true,
Thy justice we confess,
Thy sorest plagues are all our due,
We own our wickedness,
Worthy of death and hell,
Thee in Thy judgments meet:
But lo! we to Thy grace appeal,
And crowd Thy mercy-seat.

Jesus, to Thee we fly
From the devouring sword!
Our city of defence is nigh,
Our help is in the Lord:
Or if the scourge o'erflow,
And laugh at innocence,
Thine everlasting arms, we know,
Shall be our souls' defence.

We in Thy word believe,
And in Thy promise stay:
Our life, which still to Thee we give,
Shall be to us a prey:
Our life with Thee we hide
Above the furious blast,
And shelter'd in Thy wounds abide,
Till all the storm is past.

Believing against hope,
We hang upon Thy grace,
Through every lowering cloud look up,
And wait for happy days;
The days when all shall know
Their sins in Christ forgiven,
And walk awhile with God below,
And then fly up to heaven.

VI. [The dreadful day is come]

The dreadful day is come
To fix a nation's doom!
Who, when God doth this, shall live,
Stand before a righteous God,
'Gainst the world and Satan strive,
Strive resisting unto blood?

Well may our nature fear
The fiery trial near:
Who shall first his Lord betray?
Who his Master shall deny?
Which of us shall fall away?
Is it, Saviour, is it I?

I shall, I surely shall,
Without Thy succour, fall:
Left, one moment left alone,
I shall make my ruin sure,
Shamefully my God disown,
Thee, and all Thy saints abjure.

But, Lord, I trust in Thee,
Thou wilt not go from me;

Thee Thy pity shall constrain
Still with me, even me, to' abide;
Me, the weakest child of man,
Me for whom Thy pity died.

O that I always may
On Thee my spirit stay!
Poor and needy as I am,
Thou dost for my vileness care;
Thou hast call'd me by my name;
Thou wilt all my burdens bear.

Thou art the sinner's Friend,
I on Thy love depend;
Help for all is laid on Thee;
Faith and hope in Thee I have;
As my day, my strength shall be,
Thou shalt to the utmost save.

Arm me with Thy great power,
And come the fiery hour!
Then I in Thy strength shall say,
(Feeblest of Thy servants I,)
I, though all men fall away,
I will never Thee deny.

Ready, through grace, I am
To suffer for Thy name;
When Thou dost Thyself bestow
On so poor a worm as me,
I shall then to prison go,
Gladly go to death with Thee.

VII. [Happy souls that Christ obey]

Happy souls that Christ obey,
They are safe, and only they;
Hidden is their life above,
All wrapp'd up in Jesus' love.

When His judgments are abroad,
By His timely warnings awed,
They to Him their spirits give,
Closer to their Saviour cleave.

Neither wars nor plagues they fear,
Still their life and peace is near;
Undisturb'd by storms they rest
Harbour'd in His quiet breast.

Calm on tumult's wheel they sit,
Trample death beneath their feet;
Own their all-o'erruling Lord,
Smile at the destroyer's sword.

They its threatening point defy,
They behold the fiend pass by,
Sprinkled by the Lamb of God,
Arm'd and cover'd with His blood.

Thanks to the atoning Lamb,
We are shelter'd in His name;
We our Lord begin to know,
Ransom'd from the world below.

While we walk with Him in light,
Neither men nor fiends affright;
Us, whom Jesus' blood doth arm,
Kill they may, but cannot harm.

O that all our friends might feel
How secure in Christ we dwell,
O that all our foes might prove
God a pardoning God of love!

VIII. [Brethren, the end is near]

Brethren, the end is near,
Our Lord shall soon appear:
These the days of vengeance be,
Rumour'd ills the land distress;
Wars on wars ye hear and see,
Ushering in the Prince of Peace.

His judgments are abroad,
Forerunners of our God;
Nation against nation fights,
Kingdoms against kingdoms rise;
Signs above, and fearful sights
Speak the anger of the skies.

The powers of heaven He shakes;
Earth to her centre quakes;
Famine shows her meagre face;
Pestilence stalks close behind;
Woes surround the sinful race;
Wrath abides on all mankind.

The nations are distress'd,
The wicked cannot rest:
No, in sin they sleep no more,
Toss'd with sad perplexity;
Swell the waves, and work, and roar;
Men are like the troubled sea.

Terror their heart assails,
Their heart through terror fails;
Fails, o'erwhelm'd with huge dismay,
Looking for the plagues to come,
Shrinking from their evil day,
Fainting at their instant doom.

But ye that fear the Lord
Fear neither plague nor sword;
Jesus bids your care depart,
Ye in Jesus' love are blest;
Sprinkled is your peaceful heart:
Now expect the perfect rest.

These threatening clouds look through,
Good they portend to you:
Lift your heads, with joy look up,
Find your full redemption near;
See your soul's desire and hope,
See your glorious Lord appear.

His near approach ye know,
Treated like Him below;
This the word that Jesus said,
Now your Master's lot ye find,
Mock'd, rejected, and betray'd,
Hated now by all mankind.

In calm and quiet peace
Your patient souls possess;
God hath kept your innocence,
God shall still His own defend:
Rest in Him, your sure defence;
Suffer on, and wait the end.

His mercy's wings are spread
To guard your naked head;
None can hurt you now, or grieve,
Hated though ye be by all:
No, without your Saviour's leave
Not one sacred hair shall fall.

IX. [Fly, to the mountains fly]

Fly, to the mountains fly;
Sinners, on Christ rely!
Our strong mountain is the Lord:
He keeps off the' invading bands,
He averts the' impending sword;
Christ the Christian's fortress stands.

Happy who trust in Him,
Almighty to redeem:
Neither wars nor plagues they fear,
Public ills they calmly meet,
Smile at desolation near,
Trample death beneath their feet.

But woes, redoubled woes,
Attend the Saviour's foes:
Worldly men and things who love,
God, His things, and people hate,
O what sorrows will they prove,
Crush'd by all His judgments' weight!

Woe to the souls at ease,
The slaves of foul excess;
Charged with surfeiting or wine,
Drunk with pleasure or with care,
Big with earthly low design,
Fond of their attachments there!

Secure on earth who dwell,
They all His plagues shall feel;
Senseless, till the day oppress;
Thoughtless, till the ruin come:
Pangs shall then their spirits seize,
Earnest of their final doom.

But we Thy warning take,
We, Lord, the world forsake:
Thou hast kindly said, “Beware,”
Arm'd us by Thy word of grace,
Told us of the fatal snare
Spread for all the earth-born race.

Thy judgments we revere,
Thy speaking rod we hear.
Thou shalt keep our caution'd heart,
Free from care, from pleasure free:
Thou alone our portion art,
All our treasure is in Thee.

Thee let us still obey,
And always watch and pray;
Pray against the sore distress,
Plagues that on the world shall fall,
Counted, through Thy righteousness,
Worthy to escape them all.

Worthy esteem'd through grace
To stand before Thy face;
Call'd to see our Judge appear,
Son of Man, with glory crown'd;
Glad the' archangel's voice to hear,
Shouting at the trumpet's sound.

O wouldst Thou now descend,
And all our sufferings end!
Hear the Bride and Spirit pray,
Hasten, Lord, the general doom;
Bring the great tremendous day,
Come away, to judgment come!

X. A PRAYER FOR HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE.

Fear God, and honour the King.

Sovereign of all, whose will ordains
The powers on earth that be,
By whom our rightful monarch reigns,
Subject to none but Thee;

Stir up Thy strength, appear, appear,
And for Thy servant fight;
Support Thy great vicegerent here,
And vindicate his right.

Lo! in the arms of faith and prayer
We bear him to Thy throne;
Receive Thine own peculiar care,
The Lord's anointed one.

With favour look upon his face;
Thy love's pavilion spread;
And watchful troops of angels place
Around his sacred head.

Guard him from all who dare oppose
Thy delegate and Thee,
From open and from secret foes,
From force and perfidy.

Confound whoe'er his ruin seek,
Or into friends convert;
Give him his adversaries' neck,
Give him his people's heart.

Let us, for conscience sake, revere
The man of Thy right hand;
Honour and love Thine image here,
And bless his mild command.

(Thou only didst the blessing give,
The glory, Lord, be Thine.)
Let all with thankful joy receive
The benefit divine.

To those who Thee in him obey
The Spirit of grace impart;
His dear, his sacred burden lay
On every loyal heart.

O let us pray, and never cease,
“Defend him, Lord, defend;
'Stablish his throne in glorious peace,
And save him to the end.”

XI. ANOTHER.

[Immortal Potentate]

Immortal Potentate,
Whose sovereign will is fate,
Own the king we have from Thee,
Bless the man of Thy right hand,
Crown him with Thy majesty,
Let him in Thine image stand.

Him for Thy glory's sake
Thy faithful subject make:

Pour the unction from above,
All the gifts divine impart,
Make him happy in Thy love,
Make him after Thine own heart.

His sacred life defend,
And save him to the end;
Guard from all impending harms,
O almighty King of kings;
Keep him in Thy mercy's arms,
Wrap him in Thy mercy's wings.

Defeat, confound, oppress
The troublers of his peace;
Blast their every vain design;
'Stablish Thou his quiet throne;
Tell his foes—“This soul is Mine,
Touch not Mine anointed one.”

Preserve a life so dear,
And long detain him here:
Late his spotless soul receive
To Thy palace in the skies;
Bid him late in glory live,
Live the life that never dies.

XII. ANOTHER.

[Fountain of power, from whom descends]

Fountain of power, from whom descends
The regal dignity divine!
Thine is the reign that never ends,
An everlasting throne is Thine.

Princes by Thy appointment reign;
Thou hast to ours the sceptre given;
Confirm the grant, Thine own maintain,
The chosen delegate of heaven.

Honour, and majesty, and might,
Still, Lord, on our dread sire bestow;
Assert his cause, uphold his right,
And give him to Thy church below.

In answer to our fervent prayer,
Thy blessings on his head shower down,
And take into Thy choicest care
A life far dearer than our own.

Thousands of ours are vile to his;
His guardian Thou, be ever nigh;
Nor let the hope of Israel cease,
Nor let the light of Israel die.

Still may he by Thy special grace
A blessing to these kingdoms live;
Give him a length of prosperous days,
The riches of Thy mercy give.

Give him Thy little flock to feed,
(A Cyrus to Thy church below,)
To raise and nurse Thy chosen seed,
And let Thy royal captives go.

O may he in Thy gracious might
Thy persecuted truth defend,
Relieve the' oppress'd, the injured right,
And all the rage of tyrants end.

Long may he guard Thy people's rest,
A glorious instrument divine,
And, late enroll'd among the bless'd,
Bright as the stars for ever shine.

XIII. FOR THE KING AND THE ROYAL FAMILY.

Lord, Thou hast bid Thy people pray
For all that bear the sovereign sway
And Thy vicegerents reign;
Rulers, and governors, and powers:
And lo! in faith we pray for ours;
Nor can we pray in vain.

Jesu, Thy chosen servant guard,
And every threatening danger ward
From his anointed head;
Bid all his griefs and troubles cease,
And through the paths of heavenly peace
To life eternal lead.

Cover his enemies with shame,
Defeat their dire malicious aim,
Their baffled hopes destroy:
But shower on him Thy blessings down;
Crown him with grace, with glory crown,
And everlasting joy.

To hoary hairs be Thou his God,
Late may he seek that high abode,
Late to his heaven remove;
Of virtues full, and happy days,
Accounted worthy by Thy grace
To fill a throne above.

And when Thou dost his spirit receive,
O give him, in his offspring, give
Us back our king again;
Preserve them, Providence Divine,
And let the long illustrious line
To latest ages reign.

Secure us of his royal race
A man to stand before Thy face,
And exercise Thy power;
With wealth, prosperity, and peace,
Our nation and our church to bless,
Till time shall be no more.

University of Virginia Library

HYMNS FOR TIMES OF Trouble and Persecution.

I. THE NINTH CHAPTER OF DANIEL.

II.

[God of infinite compassion]

III.

[Jesu, sin-atoning Lamb]

IV.

[Merciful God, to Thee we cry]

V.

[Sinners, the call obey]

VI.

[The dreadful day is come]

VII.

[Happy souls that Christ obey]

VIII.

[Brethren, the end is near]

IX.