The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

The Spirit had to them foreshown
The' afflictions waiting for their friend,
They counsell'd him the cross to shun,
Nor to the bloody city ascend;
But partly miss'd the Spirit's mind,
Nor saw the whole by heaven design'd.

Jesus the previous knowledge gives,
And thus His confessor prepares;
His confessor the cross receives,
By faith's anticipating prayers
His one oblation multiplies,
And daily for his Saviour dies.

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2867.

[So lately to each other known]

They all brought us on our way, with wives, &c. —xxi. 5.

So lately to each other known,
What is it draws and makes them one
By dearest ties allied?
What is it binds the saints above
In everlasting bonds? the love
Of Jesus crucified.

Men the Divine attraction feel,
Women with joy unspeakable
The' uniting grace obtain;
Their children too with heart sincere
Cleave to a parting minister,
And all his blessings gain.

2868.

[Two or three in Jesus' name]

And we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed. —xxi. 5.

Two or three in Jesus' name,
According to His word
Humbly met, may boldly claim
The presence of their Lord;
He Himself prepares the fane
With azure canopy o'erspread,
Ample dome to entertain
The members and their Head.

How august the hallow'd place
To faith's discerning eye!
Hallow'd by the present grace
Of Him who fills the sky!
While the Spirit of love and prayer
Into their simple hearts is given
Christ with all His church is there,
And turns their earth to heaven.

383

2869.

[That warmth without excess]

And when we had taken our leave one of, &c. —xxi. 6.

That warmth without excess
To true believers known,
That mutual tenderness,
Which melts us into one,
When souls in Jesus' name embrace,
Its heavenly origin displays.

From Christ the unction flows,
The Spirit of our Lord,
And here the nature shows
Of our supreme reward,
Sure earnest of our heaven above
Where all is harmony and love.

2870.

['Tis all our joy, while here below]

We came to Ptolemais, and saluted the, &c. —xxi. 7.

'Tis all our joy, while here below
As sojourners we rove,
To visit those that Jesus know,
And our Redeemer love;
Refreshment sweet in them we find,
And faith and strength renew'd,
And cast the evil world behind,
And closer cleave to God.

Awhile in Jesus' servant bless'd,
How short soe'er his stay;
We cheerfully resign our guest
Who tarries but a day;
We travel on with warmer zeal
Till all our toils are o'er,
And meeting on that heavenly hill
Embrace to part no more.

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2871.

[Nearer the destined time and place]

He took Paul's girdle, and bound his own, &c. —xxi. 11.

Nearer the destined time and place
As Jesus' resolute servant draws,
The spirit of sure prophetic grace
His sufferings in his Master's cause
With clearer evidence foreshows,
And arms' him for the coming woes.

What honour for the follower poor
Entreated as his Lord to be!
Jesus did more for him endure
To buy His creature's liberty:
(Given up into the Heathen's hands)
He bought our peace and burst our bands.

Thrice happy prisoner of the Lord,
Thy gospel still unbound remains;
And nations through the joyful word
Redeem'd shall bless thy sacred chains,
The' apostle of the Gentiles own;
But give the praise to Christ alone.

2872.

[Against distress foreshown]

When we heard these things, ...we...besought, &c. —xxi. 12.

Against distress foreshown
Preventing means we use,
Nor yet our Father's will disown,
Or His decree refuse;
Who oft foretells in love;
That we may 'scape the ill,
And in our timely rescue prove
His acceptable will.

2873.

[The chief of saints may well express]

What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? &c. —xxi. 13.

The chief of saints may well express
A sympathising tenderness,
And blameless sorrow show;

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The faithful soul with Jesus one
Has put his Saviour's bowels on,
And feels the common woe.

Yet with the mind of Jesus steel'd
He cannot to entreaties yield,
Or leave the bleeding Lamb,
Warn'd by the Spirit's clearest call
For Jesus' sake to give up all
And suffer for His name.

From all the power of passion free,
Against the soft infirmity
Immovable he stands;
No cross, no suffering he declines,
But cheerfully his life resigns,
When Christ his life demands.

O'erjoy'd his faithfulness to' approve,
And pay Him back the bleeding love
Display'd on Calvary,
Paul could not speak a greater word
Than “Here I am, my gracious Lord,
Ready to die for Thee.”

2874.

[Was it his nature's stubbornness]

When he would not be persuaded, we ceased. —xxi. 14.

Was it his nature's stubbornness
Withstood their passionate request?
No; but the constancy of grace
Which reign'd in his determined breast,
And thus should all our friends combine;
Persuaded we must never be
Saviour, to thwart Thine own design,
Or shrink to bear Thy cross with Thee.

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2875.

[When to the counsel of our Lord]

We ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. —xxi. 14.

When to the counsel of our Lord
Our unreserved consent we yield,
Comfort and peace we find restored,
And rest in that which He hath will'd:
Whate'er distress our friends befalls,
If Christ lets loose the adverse power,
And arms whom He to suffering calls,
His will be done, we ask no more.

2876.

[The firmness of one, Who follows his call]

We...went up to Jerusalem. —xxi. 15.

The firmness of one, Who follows his call,
With courage unknown May animate all;
Who trace his example, The world we disdain,
And fearlessly trample On danger and pain.

Embolden'd by grace, The mount we ascend,
And joyfully praise Our heavenly Friend;
With confidence steady On Him we rely,
And then we are ready For Jesus to die.

2877.

[An old disciple of thy Lord]

The disciples...brought with them one Mnason, &c. —xxi. 16.

An old disciple of thy Lord
Mnason receive thy sacred guest,
(Thy hospitable love's reward,)
As with an host of angels bless'd:
Thou canst no more on earth require;
For if possess'd of Paul thou art
Thou hast the Gentile church entire,
Carried in their apostle's heart.

2878.

[No universal head]

Paul went in with us unto James; and all, &c. —xxi. 18.

No universal head
By the first church was known,
While all approved the' apostle's deed,
He did it not alone:

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In every work of grace
His fellow-labourers join'd,
As helpers of the faithful race,
As servants of mankind.

2879.

[Not like an hireling vain]

He declared particularly what things God, &c. —xxi. 19.

Not like an hireling vain
Who boasts his own success,
But humble to the church, and plain,
He speaks of Jesus' grace,
Of things his Lord had done
A just narration gives,
While not himself but Christ alone,
The praise of all receives.

2880.

[Omnipotent Redeemer]

And when they heard it, they glorified, &c. —xxi. 20.

Omnipotent Redeemer,
Our ransom'd souls adore Thee,
Whate'er is done,
Thy work we own,
And give Thee all the glory;
With thankfulness acknowledge
Our time of visitation,
Thine hand confess,
And gladly bless
The God of our salvation.

Thou hast employ'd Thy servants,
And bless'd their weak endeavours;
And lo in Thee
We myriads see
Of practical believers;
The church of pardon'd sinners,
Exulting in their Saviour,

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Sing all day long
The gospel song,
And triumph in Thy favour.

Thy wonders wrought already
Require our ceaseless praises;
But show Thy power,
And myriads more
Take into Thine embraces:
But fill our earth with glory,
And known by every nation
God of all grace
Receive the praise
Of all Thy new creation.

2881.

[Happy the man through special grace]

And they are all zealous of the law. —xxi. 20.

Happy the man through special grace
From old prejudging errors free,
Errors of birth, or sect, or place,
Habit, or nature's bigotry,
Which with a blind misguided zeal
The heart of true believers fill.

O might I none but Jesus know,
Baptized with pure celestial fire!
Saviour, Thy fervent mind bestow,
And bless me with Thine own desire,
That all Thy perfect law may prove
Of life, and liberty, and love.

2882.

[Dispute and fierce contention springs]

And they are informed of thee, that thou, &c. —xxi. 21.

Dispute and fierce contention springs
From zeal for outward needless things,
With hasty error join'd:

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Their tenets eager to defend,
Men will not patiently attend
To know each other's mind.

'Tis thus the legalists mistake,
And think that Moses we forsake,
And righteous works deny,
Who make the great salvation known,
And teach that God through faith alone
Doth freely justify.

Themselves the false conclusion draw;
We do not abrogate the law,
But its abuse remove
And fix it on a steadfast base,
And tell the faithful sons of grace
'Tis all fulfill'd in love.

2883.

[Zeal will nothing leave undone]

We have four men which have a vow on, &c. —xxi. 23, 24.

Zeal will nothing leave undone
The ignorant to win;
Prudence yields to every one
Without committing sin:
Humble saints advised will be,
Nor ever of themselves presume:
Condescending charity
Doth all to all become.

But can Paul be justified?
To blame let others dare,
Magisterially decide
“The' apostle went too far;”
Nothing from the account appears,
But that the God of boundless grace
Sends His suffering messengers
To all our ransom'd race.

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2884.

[Christians as men profane]

And...brought Greeks also into the, &c. —xxi. 28–30.

Christians as men profane
The world doth always treat,
Our horrid crimes suppose, or feign,
And slander whom they beat:
For proof they cannot stay,
But law's defects supply,
And execute the shortest way
Before they hear or try.

The human beasts they rouse
Their temple to defend,
And when we pay our solemn vows
Would us in pieces rend:
The witnesses of grace
Who only Christ adore,
They drag us from the holy place,
And shut the church's door.

2885.

[The wretch so impious and profane]

When they saw the chief captain and the, &c. —xxi. 32.

The wretch so impious and profane,
Abandon'd to outrageous men,
A martyr'd saint appears;
A victim in the sight Divine,
Who freely would his life resign,
To save his murderers.

They vow he shall no longer live,
His friends can no assistance give;
But when his Saviour wills,
A Pagan sent to interpose
Rescues the Christian from his foes,
And the decree fulfils.

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2886.

[Concern'd for justice, not for him]

Then the chief captain came near, and, &c. —xxi. 33.

Concern'd for justice, not for him,
Heathens may oft a saint redeem,
Restrain the cruel foes of peace,
And save him in his last distress:
The earth doth then the woman aid,
The' Almighty's mandate is obey'd,
And all the subject creatures join
To' accomplish His unknown design.

2887.

[Jews the prophecy fulfil]

And commanded him to be bound with two, &c. —xxi. 33.

Jews the prophecy fulfil,
Jews in the appointed hour,
Whom they sought in vain to kill,
Yield him to the Gentiles' power:
Like his patient Master bound
(So the sovereign will ordains)
Paul must spread the gospel sound,
Ransom captives in his chains.

2888.

[Away with him from earth, they cry]

The multitude...followed after, crying, &c. —xxi. 36.

Away with him from earth, they cry,
The wretch too vile on earth to live!
Away with him, the death to die!
The world can grant him no reprieve,
(Of whom the world unworthy was,)
Stone, burn, or nail him to a cross.

Such honour all the people gain
Who Thee our Lord and Pattern own,
Condemn'd by fierce unrighteous men,
With clamour violently borne down,
Our life we carry in our hand,
And yield it up at Thy command.

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But arm us for that fiery hour,
Our Saviour God for ever near,
Clothe with the Spirit of Thy power
And threatening man we scorn to fear,
Who cannot slay or ill entreat,
Or touch us, till Thy love permit.

2889.

[Wounded and bruised and drench'd in blood]

Paul...beckoned with the hand unto the, &c. —xxi. 40.

Wounded and bruised and drench'd in blood,
Fit witness for a martyr'd God,
He stems the popular tide;
And while the Saviour he declares,
The marks he in his body bears
Of Jesus crucified.

Happy who thus their Lord confess!
Jesus shall arm them with His grace,
His witnesses inspire,
On them the glorious Spirit shall rest,
With love Divine expand their breast,
And touch their lips with fire.

University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXI.

2866.

[The Spirit had to them foreshown]