The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Ye servants of God, Your Master proclaim,
And publish abroad His wonderful name:
The name all-victorious Of Jesus extol;
His kingdom is glorious, And rules over all.

The waves of the sea Have lift up their voice,
Sore troubled that we In Jesus rejoice;
The floods they are roaring, But Jesus is here,
While we are adoring He always is near.

Men, devils engage, The billows arise,
And horribly rage, And threaten the skies:
Their fury shall never Our steadfastness shock,
The weakest believer Is built on a Rock.

God ruleth on high, Almighty to save,
And still He is nigh, His presence we have;
The great congregation His triumph shall sing,
Ascribing salvation To Jesus our King.

Salvation to God Who sits on the throne!
Let all cry aloud, And honour the Son!
Our Jesus's praises The angels proclaim,
Fall down on their faces, And worship the Lamb.

Then let us adore, And give Him His right,
All glory, and power, And wisdom, and might,
All honour and blessing, With angels above,
And thanks never ceasing, And infinite love.

II. [Omnipotent King, Who reignest on high]

Omnipotent King, Who reignest on high,
Thy mercy we sing, Thy haters defy,
We give Thee Thy glory, Though Satan oppose,
And gladly adore Thee, In sight of Thy foes.

The reprobates dare Their master proclaim,
And loudly declare Their sin and their shame;
Presumptuous in evil, Their god they avow,
Their father the devil; And worship him now.

And shall we not sing Our Master and Lord,
Our Maker and King, By angels adored,
Our merciful Saviour, Who brought us to God,
And purchased us favour By shedding His blood?

Yes, Lord, we adore, Though all men deny,
And tell of Thy power, Triumphantly nigh:
O Jesu, we bless Thee, Our Jesus proclaim,
And gladly confess Thee, For ever the same.

In tumult and noise, We sing of Thy grace,
More mighty our joys, More hearty our praise,
Our triumphs are higher, And warmer our zeal,
And Thee ever nigher Than Satan we feel.

The sinners we see, Who Satan obey,
Much happier we, Much wiser than they;
Our Master is greater, He makes us His heirs,
And O! how much better Our wages than theirs!

Our Jesus is near, Whenever we sing
Among us we hear The shout of a King;
Our voices are stronger Than theirs who blaspheme.
And surely we longer Shall triumph than them.

III. [All-conquering Lord, Whom sinners adore]

All-conquering Lord, Whom sinners adore,
Remember Thy word, And stir up Thy power,
Drive Satan before Thee, His advocates chase;
Or let them adore Thee, And yield to Thy grace.

O pity, and spare, And save them from death,
Pluck'd out of his snare, Snatch'd out of his teeth;
Almighty Redeemer, To whom all things bow,
Cast down the blasphemer, And rescue them now.

O why should he take Thy purchase away?
Thy fury awake, And fly on the prey;
Thy purchase recover, That Satan may feel
Thy kingdom is over Earth, heaven, and hell.

O answer the prayer Of prevalent faith,
In mercy forbear These children of wrath,
And give them repentance, Let mercy take place,
Reverse the sad sentence, And save them by grace.

IV. THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER OF HOSEA.

Sinners, obey the gracious call,
Unto the Lord your God return,
The dire occasion of your fall,
Your foolishness of folly mourn.

Sin only hath your ruin been;
In humble words your grief express,
Turn to the Lord, your shameful sin
The burden of your soul confess.

God of all power, and truth, and grace,
All our iniquity remove,
Spare, and accept a fallen race,
God of all power, and truth, and love.

Take all, take all our sins away,
Nor guilt, nor power, nor being leave:
Forgive us now, Thine arm display,
Thine own for Jesus' sake receive.

So will we render Thee the praise,
With joyful lips and hearts renew'd,
Present Thee all our happy days,
A living sacrifice to God.

So will we trust in man no more,
No more to man for succour fly,
The works of our own hands adore,
Or seek ourselves to justify.

Not by an arm of flesh, but Thine,
We look from sin to be set free;
O Love, O Righteousness Divine,
The helpless all find help in Thee.

Surely in Me (your God replies)
The fatherless shall mercy find,
Whoe'er on Me for help relies
Shall know the Saviour of mankind.

I, (for My Son hath died to seal
Their peace, and all My wrath remove,)
I will their sin-sick spirits heal,
And freely the backsliders love.

I will My sovereign art display,
To perfect health their soul restore,
And take their bent to sin away,
And lift them up to fall no more.

In blessings will I then come down,
And water them with gracious dew,
And all My former mercies crown,
And every pardon'd soul renew.

Israel shall as the lily grow,
As chaste, as beautiful, and white,
Yet striking deep his roots below,
And towering as the cedar's height.

His branching arms he wide shall spread,
And flourish in eternal bloom,
Fair as the olive's verdant shade,
Fragrant as Lebanon's perfume.

Whoe'er beneath his shadow dwell
Shall as the putrid corn revive,
A mortal quickening virtue feel,
And sink to rise, and die to live.

Their boughs with fruit ambrosial crown'd,
As Lebanon's thick clustering vine,
Shall spread their odours all around,
Grateful to human taste, and Mine.

Ephraim, My pleasant child, shall say,
“With idols what have I to do?
I cannot sin: get hence away,
Vain world! I cannot stoop to you.

“God, only God hath all my heart,
My vile idolatries are o'er,
I cannot now from God depart,
For, born of God, I sin no more.”

Whoe'er to this high prize aspire,
And long My utmost grace to prove,
I heard, and mark'd their heart's desire,
And I will perfect them in love.

Beneath My love's almighty shade,
O Israel, sit, and rest secure,
On Me thy quiet soul be stay'd,
Till pure as I thy God am pure.

Surely I will My people save;
Who on My faithful word depend
Their fruit to holiness shall have,
And glorious all to heaven ascend.

University of Virginia Library

HYMNS TO BE SUNG IN A TUMULT.

I.

[Ye servants of God, Your Master proclaim]

II.

[Omnipotent King, Who reignest on high]

III.

[All-conquering Lord, Whom sinners adore]

IV. THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER OF HOSEA.