 | I. |
 | II. |
|
|
|
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
 | CHAPTER XXVIII. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
446
CHAPTER XXVIII.
3011.
[Who boast their form of godliness]
The barbarous people shewed us no little, &c.
—xxviii. 2.
Who boast their form of godliness,
Most cruel enmity express
To them that Jesus know;
Idolaters assistance give,
With hospitable love receive,
And kindest pity show.
Most cruel enmity express
To them that Jesus know;
Idolaters assistance give,
With hospitable love receive,
And kindest pity show.
Mercy from savages we find,
(When Jesus hath their hearts inclined,)
In the distressing hour,
While Christians civilised in vain,
As sheep appointed to be slain,
The saints of God devour.
(When Jesus hath their hearts inclined,)
In the distressing hour,
While Christians civilised in vain,
As sheep appointed to be slain,
The saints of God devour.
3012.
[His loving labour he repeats]
Paul...gatherd a bundle of sticks, &c.
—xxviii. 3.
His loving labour he repeats,
With kind industrious care,
To meanest offices submits
The common minister;
Ye friends of God, ye humble saints,
From His example know,
To serve the soul's or body's wants,
Ye cannot stoop too low.
3013.
[Escaped from the tempestuous sea]
There came a viper out of the heat, &c.
—xxviii. 3.
Escaped from the tempestuous sea
Who dared in God confide,
By dangers new his faith must be
By fresh temptations tried;
The viper fasten'd on his hand
And shook into the flame
Shall show that both by sea and land
His Saviour is the same.
447
3014.
[Partially by nature taught]
They said...No doubt this man is a, &c.
—xxviii. 4.
Partially by nature taught,
Though barbarous and rude,
Murder's crying crime they thought
By wrath Divine pursued:
“God His own decree fulfils,
And always acts as Judge below,
Blessings to the righteous deals,
And to the wicked woe.”
Though barbarous and rude,
Murder's crying crime they thought
By wrath Divine pursued:
“God His own decree fulfils,
And always acts as Judge below,
Blessings to the righteous deals,
And to the wicked woe.”
God (as yet they did not see)
Who doth His children grieve,
Spares the sons of cruelty,
And lets a murderer live:
Oft on earth His blood is shed;
But vengeance, if it here delay,
Falls the heavier on his head
In that tremendous day.
Who doth His children grieve,
Spares the sons of cruelty,
And lets a murderer live:
Oft on earth His blood is shed;
But vengeance, if it here delay,
Falls the heavier on his head
In that tremendous day.
3015.
[To opposite extremes so prone]
They changed their minds, and said that, &c.
—xxviii. 6.
To opposite extremes so prone,
The giddy multitude
Judge in an hour, the saint unknown
A murderer, and a god!
3016.
[Know all who help bestow]
Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his, &c.
—xxviii. 8.
Know all who help bestow
On Jesus in His poor,
Good to the saints ye cannot show,
Without receiving more;
Expect your kindness here
An hundred-fold restored,
And when His glory shall appear,
Your infinite reward.
On Jesus in His poor,
Good to the saints ye cannot show,
Without receiving more;
Expect your kindness here
An hundred-fold restored,
And when His glory shall appear,
Your infinite reward.
But first your present need
Of a Physician know,
And virtue shall from Him proceed
Who bore your griefs below;
His help if sinners claim
As quite incurable,
The prayer of faith, in Jesu's name,
Doth soul and body heal.
Of a Physician know,
448
Who bore your griefs below;
His help if sinners claim
As quite incurable,
The prayer of faith, in Jesu's name,
Doth soul and body heal.
3017.
[Paul for his companions pays]
So when this was done, others also, &c.
—xxviii. 9.
Paul
for his companions pays
At Jesus's expense,
In the Heathen's eyes displays
His Lord's omnipotence;
Makes it on their bodies known,
That then their languid souls may prove
Health restored through Christ alone,
And bless His pardoning love.
At Jesus's expense,
In the Heathen's eyes displays
His Lord's omnipotence;
Makes it on their bodies known,
That then their languid souls may prove
Health restored through Christ alone,
And bless His pardoning love.
Debtor both to Greek and Jew,
Did he not Christ proclaim?
Debtor to Barbarians too,
He preach'd where'er he came;
(Conscious of his Master's mind
When to remotest countries driven)
Preach'd the Saviour of mankind,
The Peace of earth and heaven.
Did he not Christ proclaim?
Debtor to Barbarians too,
He preach'd where'er he came;
(Conscious of his Master's mind
When to remotest countries driven)
Preach'd the Saviour of mankind,
The Peace of earth and heaven.
3018.
[Unspeakably bless'd]
Who also honoured us with many honours, &c.
—xxviii. 10.
Unspeakably bless'd
In a stranger distress'd,
Who Paul entertain,
Unawares they receive an angelical man.
Enrich'd by a wreck,
For his ministry's sake
They esteem and caress
The physician of souls, and the vessel of grace!
449
3019.
[Go, sacred ship, from stormy seas]
A ship,...whose sign was, Castor and Pollux.
—xxviii. 11.
Go, sacred ship, from stormy seas
Secure, thy heavenly treasure bear,
Not left to Pagan deities
But safe in Providence's care;
Protected by a nobler sign
Through Jesus' worshipper thou art,
The Saviour's cross and blood Divine,
His God he carries in his heart!
3020.
[Who can tell the consolation]
Puteoli, where we found brethren.
—xxviii. 13, 14.
Who can tell the consolation,
When the suffering sons of grace,
Heirs and partners of salvation,
In their Saviour's name embrace?
Peace of Jesus's bestowing,
Joy that swells to be express'd,
Love from the pure Fountain flowing,
Streams through every faithful breast.
3021.
[The prisoner of the Lord]
And were desired to tarry with them seven days.
—xxviii. 14.
The prisoner of the Lord,
But His apostle too;
He own'd the pardoning word
Was every sinner's due,
Nor could, wherever sent, delay
His evangelic debt to pay.
But His apostle too;
He own'd the pardoning word
Was every sinner's due,
Nor could, wherever sent, delay
His evangelic debt to pay.
Employ in every place
With precious souls he found,
And made their hearts confess
The word could not be bound,
Which captive leads captivity
And bids a sinful world be free.
With precious souls he found,
And made their hearts confess
The word could not be bound,
Which captive leads captivity
And bids a sinful world be free.
450
3022.
[Christians he exults to meet]
The brethren...came to meet us...whom, &c.
—xxviii. 15.
Christians he exults to meet,
Christians come from Satan's seat,
Where the idols are enthroned
There he sees his Saviour own'd:
Jesus he delights to bless,
Fill'd with joy and thankfulness,
Comfort streaming from above
All the confidence of love.
3023.
[A captive, poor, despised, and bound]
We came to Rome.
—xxviii. 16.
A captive, poor, despised, and bound,
His entry into Rome he makes,
Yet greater far than victors crown'd
Whom Jesus for His servant takes!
The plagues and scourges of mankind
They forced the slaves their yoke to feel,
But Paul is come the world to' unbind,
And triumph o'er the hosts of hell.
3024.
[Led into captivity]
Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with, &c.
—xxviii. 16.
Led into captivity
Thy servants favour find;
Is it not a look from Thee
That makes their keepers kind?
Human hearts are in Thy hands,
Thy hand in all events we own,
Free, or bound at Thy command,
And kept by Thee alone.
3025.
[Intreated as a criminal]
Though I have committed nothing against, &c.
—xxviii. 17.
Intreated as a criminal,
The Saviour's messenger
Doth meekly, in the sight of all,
His innocency clear:
451
Whom all unjustly blame,
He keeps, for Jesu's sake alone,
A pure unspotted name.
3026.
[We never can recriminate]
Not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
—xxviii. 19.
We never can recriminate
Who to the Lamb belong,
Nor dare our fiercest haters hate,
Or render wrong for wrong;
When charged with crimes they cannot prove,
The truth of justify
We speak constrain'd; but tenderest love
Prevents a sharp reply.
3027.
[Bound he is, yet truly free]
For the hope of Israel I am bound with, &c.
—xxviii. 20.
Bound he is, yet truly free,
Bound for his Redeemer's sake,
Him who suffering on the tree
Did for all atonement make;
Doth to every sinner bring
Pardon in His sprinkled blood,
Christ the Prophet, Priest, and King,
Israel's Hope, and Israel's God.
Bound for his Redeemer's sake,
Him who suffering on the tree
Did for all atonement make;
Doth to every sinner bring
Pardon in His sprinkled blood,
Christ the Prophet, Priest, and King,
Israel's Hope, and Israel's God.
On this only ground relies
Every soul that faith receives,
Jesus my Redeemer dies,
Jesus my Redeemer lives;
Lives, that I and all mankind
May, to liberty restored,
Fulness of salvation find,
Live for ever with our Lord.
Every soul that faith receives,
Jesus my Redeemer dies,
Jesus my Redeemer lives;
Lives, that I and all mankind
May, to liberty restored,
Fulness of salvation find,
Live for ever with our Lord.
3028.
[Where are the venerable men]
We neither received letters out of Judæ, &c.
—xxviii. 21.
Where are the venerable men,
The eloquent Tertullus, where?
Could Jews their bitter wrath refrain?
Or did their consciences declare
That Pagans were more just than them,
And would not without proof condemn?
The eloquent Tertullus, where?
452
Or did their consciences declare
That Pagans were more just than them,
And would not without proof condemn?
While God their baffled rage averts,
They counteract their own design,
Spite of their own malicious hearts,
In Paul's defence the zealots join,
Absent, they on his side appear,
And silent, his uprightness clear.
They counteract their own design,
Spite of their own malicious hearts,
In Paul's defence the zealots join,
Absent, they on his side appear,
And silent, his uprightness clear.
3029.
[Religion undefiled and true]
We desire to hear of thee what thou, &c.
—xxviii. 22.
Religion undefiled and true
Was always by the world decried;
The wisdom, which they never knew,
They still as foolishness deride,
God's children scornfully reject,
And brand them as an impious sect.
Was always by the world decried;
The wisdom, which they never knew,
They still as foolishness deride,
God's children scornfully reject,
And brand them as an impious sect.
But followers of the Nazarene,
Our Lord's reproach we gladly share,
Rejected, and despised of men,
Till bold appearing at His bar,
His confessors with smiles He owns,
Commends, and seats us on our thrones.
Our Lord's reproach we gladly share,
Rejected, and despised of men,
Till bold appearing at His bar,
His confessors with smiles He owns,
Commends, and seats us on our thrones.
3030.
[Whene'er we preach our pardoning Lord]
Some believed...and some believed not.
—xxviii. 24.
Whene'er we preach our pardoning Lord,
Some disbelieve the faithful word,
And some confess its power;
Savour of life or death it proves,
The stony from their hearts removes,
Or hardens them the more.
Some disbelieve the faithful word,
And some confess its power;
Savour of life or death it proves,
The stony from their hearts removes,
Or hardens them the more.
The poor and blind receive their sight,
With faith's unspeakable delight
A precious Christ esteem;
But stubborn Pharisees disdain
Salvation through a Saviour slain,
And infidels blaspheme.
With faith's unspeakable delight
A precious Christ esteem;
453
Salvation through a Saviour slain,
And infidels blaspheme.
3031.
[The Holy Ghost, the' eternal Lord]
Well spake the Holy Ghost.. unto our fathers.
—xxviii. 25.
The Holy Ghost, the' eternal Lord,
Jehovah spake the awful word,
Divinely just and true;
Denounced against your fathers first
The threat, ye reprobates accursed,
Shall be fulfill'd on you.
Jehovah spake the awful word,
Divinely just and true;
Denounced against your fathers first
The threat, ye reprobates accursed,
Shall be fulfill'd on you.
The cause is in yourselves unknown,
Their damning sin ye make your own,
Their incredulity;
The light of truth ye cannot find,
Dead in your sins, and doubly blind,
Because ye will not see.
Their damning sin ye make your own,
Their incredulity;
The light of truth ye cannot find,
Dead in your sins, and doubly blind,
Because ye will not see.
Your eyes through obstinate despite,
Ye close against the irksome light,
Afraid in this your day
To see what would secure your peace,
The Lamb, whose blood and righteousness
Bore all your sins away.
Ye close against the irksome light,
Afraid in this your day
To see what would secure your peace,
The Lamb, whose blood and righteousness
Bore all your sins away.
Your ears ye stop, afraid to hear
Of fiery indignation near,
Of wrath reveal'd from heaven,
Of means the Judge's wrath to shun,
And all His will to man made known,
With news of sin forgiven.
Of fiery indignation near,
Of wrath reveal'd from heaven,
Of means the Judge's wrath to shun,
And all His will to man made known,
With news of sin forgiven.
Ye dare not turn to God and live,
Lest when He doth the sin forgive
From which ye would not part,
His Spirit of purity and love
Should all its dire remains remove,
And dwell within your heart.
Lest when He doth the sin forgive
From which ye would not part,
454
Should all its dire remains remove,
And dwell within your heart.
But you who thus refuse to see,
Shut up in unbelief shall be,
And hard be harder still;
Your names erased out of His book,
Your stubborn souls of God forsook,
And left to your own will.
Shut up in unbelief shall be,
And hard be harder still;
Your names erased out of His book,
Your stubborn souls of God forsook,
And left to your own will.
The gospel then ye hear in vain,
The heavenly way direct and plain
Ye see, but not perceive;
And if the Spirit is quench'd at last,
And if your gracious day is past,
Ye never can believe.
The heavenly way direct and plain
Ye see, but not perceive;
And if the Spirit is quench'd at last,
And if your gracious day is past,
Ye never can believe.
In sad judicial blindness left,
Of Jesus totally bereft,
Your hearts insensible,
Your conscience sear'd no longer cries,
And self-destroy'd ye close your eyes
To lift them up in hell.
Of Jesus totally bereft,
Your hearts insensible,
Your conscience sear'd no longer cries,
And self-destroy'd ye close your eyes
To lift them up in hell.
3032.
[Just in your own eyes, Who Jesus reject]
Be it known therefore unto you that the, &c.
—xxviii. 28.
Just in your own eyes, Who Jesus reject,
And proudly despise His vilified sect,
The Jews of our nation Ye will not believe
Or know the salvation Which sinners receive.
And proudly despise His vilified sect,
The Jews of our nation Ye will not believe
Or know the salvation Which sinners receive.
The outcasts of men, The reprobate race,
As Heathens profane Their Saviour embrace;
Your hearts if ye harden, They thankfully hear
The news of a pardon And paradise near.
As Heathens profane Their Saviour embrace;
Your hearts if ye harden, They thankfully hear
The news of a pardon And paradise near.
That kingdom of His Which Jesus imparts,
That rapturous peace Is sent to their hearts,
To Heathens is given Through faith in His blood
Forgiveness from heaven, Salvation from God.
That rapturous peace Is sent to their hearts,
455
Forgiveness from heaven, Salvation from God.
The publicans hear His peace-giving word,
And sinners sincere Acknowledge their Lord,
His blessing inherit, His image retrieve,
And fill'd with His Spirit In paradise live.
And sinners sincere Acknowledge their Lord,
His blessing inherit, His image retrieve,
And fill'd with His Spirit In paradise live.
3033.
[Blind infidels, ye must contend]
The Jews...had great reasoning among, &c.
—xxviii. 29.
Blind infidels, ye must contend,
And fight, and cavil without end,
Who hate the Truth, the Life, the Way,
Ye must in deadly error stray;
Faith only can your doubts remove
By the pure energy of love,
Make all your vain disputings cease,
And fill your hearts with lasting peace.
3034.
[Gifts to the saints at Rome]
And Paul dwelt two whole years in his, &c.
—xxviii. 30.
Gifts to the saints at Rome
He long had wish'd to' impart;
And now the time is come
For uttering all his heart,
For publishing to rich and poor
The kingdom from above,
The joy that always shall endure,
The power of Jesu's love.
He long had wish'd to' impart;
And now the time is come
For uttering all his heart,
For publishing to rich and poor
The kingdom from above,
The joy that always shall endure,
The power of Jesu's love.
Jesus and Him alone
The Saviour he proclaims,
The God and man makes known,
His offices and names,
His doctrine, life, and wonders here,
His suffering and His rise,
His mission of the Comforter,
And reign above the skies.
The Saviour he proclaims,
The God and man makes known,
His offices and names,
His doctrine, life, and wonders here,
His suffering and His rise,
His mission of the Comforter,
And reign above the skies.
The door which Christ displays,
Nor men, nor fiends can close,
Or stop the course of grace
That through this vessel flows;
The chosen vessel of his Lord
Must His whole counsel show,
And bold dispense that royal word
Which builds His church below.
Nor men, nor fiends can close,
456
That through this vessel flows;
The chosen vessel of his Lord
Must His whole counsel show,
And bold dispense that royal word
Which builds His church below.
Not in a lower sphere
Of narrower good he moves,
Ordain'd to minister
To all whom Jesus loves,
Apostle of the ransom'd race
He preaches unconfined,
In every age, in every place,
He writes to all mankind.
Of narrower good he moves,
Ordain'd to minister
To all whom Jesus loves,
Apostle of the ransom'd race
He preaches unconfined,
In every age, in every place,
He writes to all mankind.
3035.
[Jesus, Thy servants bless]
Preaching the kingdom of God, and, &c.
—xxviii. 31.
Jesus, Thy servants bless,
Who sent by Thee proclaim
The peace, and joy, and righteousness,
Experienced in Thy name;
The kingdom of our God
Which Thy great Spirit imparts,
The power of Thy victorious blood
Which reigns in faithful hearts.
Who sent by Thee proclaim
The peace, and joy, and righteousness,
Experienced in Thy name;
The kingdom of our God
Which Thy great Spirit imparts,
The power of Thy victorious blood
Which reigns in faithful hearts.
Our souls with faith supply,
With life and liberty;
And lo, we preach and testify
The things concerning Thee;
We live for this alone,
Thy grace to minister,
And all Thou hast for sinners done
In life and death declare.
With life and liberty;
And lo, we preach and testify
The things concerning Thee;
We live for this alone,
Thy grace to minister,
And all Thou hast for sinners done
In life and death declare.
| CHAPTER XXVIII. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |