The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

The foolishness of preaching hear,
Sinners the strange report believe,
Your God did once on earth appear,
And died that all mankind might live,
Redeem'd, and reconciled to God,
Through simple faith in Jesu's blood.

Believe, and saved this moment be
From sin, the guilt, the power, the pain;

Believe, and full salvation see,
Who still your precious faith retain;
Be faithful unto death, and rise
To claim your thrones above the skies.

3074.

[Made by the Father's gift and grace]

Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us, &c. —i. 30.

Made by the Father's gift and grace
Our Wisdom true, O Christ, appear,
Our meritorious Righteousness,
From guilt and curse and wrath to clear;
Our Holiness, Thyself impart,
Absorb whate'er is I in Thine,
And stamp the image on our heart,
The nature, and the name Divine.

Then, then our full Redemption be,
Exerting all Thy power to save,
And swallow up mortality,
And raise our dust out of the grave:
Author, and sum of heavenly bliss,
Thee let our souls and bodies prove,
Implunged in that unknown abyss,
That ocean of redeeming Love.

3075.

[Shall we glory in our grace?]

He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. —i. 31.

Shall we glory in our grace?
(Our grace is not our own)
Deck'd with a few borrow'd rays
From the eternal Sun.
Shall we of our lustre boast?
Or dazzled by the brighter light,
Sink o'erwhelm'd, eclipsed, or lost
In our Redeemer's sight?

Will the chief of saints declare
“The chief of saints am I!”
Perfect, his perfection dare
In words to testify?
Suffer worms to count him good?
Or humbled into nothing own,
He who wash'd me in His blood,
My God, is good alone.

Are we justified by grace,
And to His mind restored?
Sinners still, we only praise,
And glory in the Lord,
Christ our whole perfection call,
No excellence but Christ we see,
Christ alone is all in all
Through all eternity.

3076.

[Father of all, we worship Thee!]

The Lord of glory. —ii. 8.

Father of all, we worship Thee!
The God of glory is Thy name;
Jesus, the filial Deity,
The Lord of glory we proclaim;
And the bless'd Spirit of holiness,
The Spirit of glory we confess.

Each Person we alike adore,
The sole, the self-existing God,
The God supreme for evermore,
Who hath on us Himself bestow'd;
Who bids us in His image rise,
To share His glory in the skies.

3077.

[God on us His Spirit bestow'd]

We have received...the Spirit which is of God; &c. —ii. 12.

God on us His Spirit bestow'd,
That we His other gifts may know,

A pardon bought with Jesu's blood,
A taste of glorious bliss below:
The Spirit our conscience certifies
That God to man hath freely given
Wine without money, without price,
Forgiveness, holiness, and heaven.

The Comforter assures our hearts,
Our Father, to His children dear;
Fresh strength continually imparts,
To fight, o'ercome, and persevere.
Our Father gave to Christ alone
Fulness of grace, and heavenly powers,
But hath on us conferr'd His Son,
And Christ, and all in Christ, is ours.

3078.

[The Lord to us who now believe]

The Lord to us who now believe
Hath the revealing Spirit given,
That when the Witness we receive,
The Holy Ghost come down from heaven,
We may our Father's goodness know,
Who did on all His Son bestow.

Thou send'st His Spirit into my heart,
Of Christ the Lord to testify,
And conscious that my God Thou art,
I Father, Abba Father, cry;
Assured the' Eternal Life Divine,
And Christ, and all in Christ, is mine.

The things Thy free unbounded love
Hath given our dearly-purchased race
Are, Christ the Saviour from above,
With all His plenitude of grace,
The Gift which every gift implies,
Thy whole of good in earth and skies.

Thy Spirit in my heart explains
The heavenly Gift on me bestow'd,
He shows me what my Lord contains,
The peace and portraiture of God;
The prize for ransom'd sinners won,
The glorious joy, the' immortal crown.

3079.

[Christ is the one Foundation laid]

Other foundation can no man lay, &c. —iii. 11.

Christ is the one Foundation laid,
In the deep counsels of the Lord,
In promises to sinners made,
In the inspired, prophetic word,
In welcome news of peace Divine,
In all His people's hearts and mine.

Him Prophet, Priest, and King we own,
Essential God, and real man;
The church is built on Christ alone,
Its doctrines, discipline, and plan;
Its duties and its blessings rise
On Him, the Lord of earth and skies.

Rock of eternity, He stood
Immovable in steadfast grace,
Beneath the utmost wrath of God,
Beneath the sin of Adam's race;
And still my faith's support remains,
And still He all my load sustains.

Sole Basis of our faith and hope,
We on His life and death rely,
His death from hell shall lift us up,
His life shall bear us to the sky,
Entitled, fitted for the place,
By Jesus' blood and righteousness.

3080.

[But O, take heed, ye souls unskill'd]

If any man build upon this foundation, &c. —iii. 12, 13.

But O, take heed, ye souls unskill'd
What fabric on this ground ye raise;
Gold, silver, pearls, on Jesus build,
Your solid, vital happiness,—
Doctrines which may the test endure,
Actions, and words, and tempers pure.

Taught by the oracles of God,
The permanent materials choose,
Doctrines which have for ages stood;
But every novel scheme refuse:
Nor on that one Foundation lay
The wood, the stubble, or the hay.

Wood, stubble, hay,—of creeds untrue,
Traditions, miracles unknown,
Worship Divine to saints undue,—
The various ways for sin to' atone,
The flames that venial sins consume,
And all the boasts of modern Rome.

Wood, stubble, hay,—of lifeless forms,
Of canons, rites, inventions vain,
Of precepts taught by erring worms,
Of laws which God did ne'er ordain,
Of fancy's dreams, and wild excess,
And instantaneous perfectness.

3081.

[The process of that dreadful day]

Every man's work shall be made manifest, &c. —iii. 13, 14.

The process of that dreadful day,
Discerning truth from specious lies,
Shall every principle display,
Shall every doctrine scrutinise,
If one with the unerring word,
The standard of our heavenly Lord.

He comes triumphant from above,
His lightnings set the world on fire;
The fire shall every fabric prove,
And if, 'midst flaming worlds entire,
'Midst burning heat thy house remain,
Thou shalt a full reward obtain.

But if the fire thy work consume,
Thy labour's recompence is lost;
Yet rescued from the' apostate's doom,
Who feebly didst on Jesus trust,
Thou shalt out of the burning fly,
And scarcely saved, attain the sky.

3082.

[Ye full, of confidence unsound]

Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have, &c. —iv. 8.

Ye full, of confidence unsound,
Ye rich, in gifts and faith untried,
Whose joys with nature mix'd abound,
Self-praised, self-pleased, self-satisfied,
Slight not your aged fathers poor,
Nor boast your own salvation sure.

Ye talkers of your perfect love,
Who kings, without your teachers, reign,
As pillars in the church above,
That never can go out again,
Be warn'd; or pride will cast you down,
And Satan rob you of your crown.

We wish your full perfection here,
We wish your soothing dreams were true,
That faith's almighty Finisher
Had form'd your sinless souls anew,
Stablish'd, enthroned in lasting peace,
In all the heights of holiness.

O were the fiend expell'd indeed
From all who fancy him expell'd!
Extirpated the sinful seed,
The' original wound completely heal'd,
The kingdom in your hearts restored,
And every servant as his Lord!

Then would your guides their charge attend
With joy, and not with grief and pain,
Your meek and lowly love commend,
And sharers of your triumph reign,
See all their flock o'er Jordan pass'd,
And enter into rest—the last.

See Mr. J. W's Notes.

3083.

[Lamb of God, we would submit]

Being defamed, we intreat. —iv. 13.

Lamb of God, we would submit
To our cruel treatment here,
Humbly, when defamed, entreat,
Modest at the bar appear;
If the world our answer seek,
Lamb-like let our answer be;
Or let patient silence speak,
Tell them, we belong to Thee.

3084.

[Jesus, the wise discerning mind]

I...will know, not the speech of them which are, &c. —iv. 19.

Jesus, the wise discerning mind
On all Thy ministers bestow,
The truth of grace in souls to find,
The power, and not the speech, to know;
Not the bold empty words to heed
Of zealots blind, or boasters vain,
But how in Jesu's steps they tread,
And what of living power they gain.

3085.

[If Jesus doth reign, And saves us from sin]

The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. —iv. 20.

If Jesus doth reign, And saves us from sin,
No words can explain His kingdom within,
No boastful reflection On what we possess,
No talk of perfection, Or flourish of grace.

Wherever our Lord His Spirit imparts,
The kingdom restored Is power in our hearts;
The power of His passion, And rising we prove,
The strength of salvation, The virtue of love.

With love we receive The power to obey,
Unspotted to live, Unwearied to pray:
His burdens we bear, While here we remain,
His agonies share, And suffer to reign.

3086.

[Servants of Christ, your rule is plain]

With such an one no not to eat. —v. 11.

Servants of Christ, your rule is plain;
Who bears the hallow'd name in vain,
And claims the right of brotherhood,
Out of your fellowship exclude;
Avoid, (but hate not, or despise,)
The slave of lust, and avarice,
And intimate in no degree,
Ye Christians, with a railer be.

3087.

[See, thou wretched slave accurst]

Nor drunkards shall inherit the kingdom of God. —vi. 10.

See, thou wretched slave accurst,
The end of thy excess,
Drunkenness annex'd to thirst,
And hell to drunkenness!
Plunged in that infernal pool,
How wilt thou gnaw thy tongue in pain,
Water want thy tongue to cool,
And ask a drop—in vain!

3088.

[Holy Ghost, we know Thou art]

Know ye not that your body is the temple of, &c. —vi. 19.

Holy Ghost, we know Thou art
Still in every faithful heart;
Yes; we tremble, Lord, to know
God resides in man below!
O might all our bodies be
Sensibly replete with Thee,
O might all Thy temples shine
Bright with holiness Divine!

3089.

[God, who didst so dearly buy]

Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God. —vi. 20.

God, who didst so dearly buy
These wretched souls of ours,
Help us Thee to glorify
With all our ransom'd powers:
Ours they are not, Lord, but Thine;
Let the vessels of Thy grace,
Body, soul, and spirit, join
In their Redeemer's praise.

3090.

[Knowledge howe'er sublime]

Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. —viii. 1.

Knowledge howe'er sublime
What doth it profit me?
It only aggravates my crime,
Distinct from charity:
On all mankind beside
It tempts me to look down,
And whispers to my learned pride,
That I am wise alone.

But the pure gospel-grace
Whoe'er with Christ receives,
Little, and mean, and vile, and base
In his own eyes he lives:

That simple love Divine
To me, to me be given,
And humble this proud soul of mine,
And then exalt to heaven.

3091.

[But did the great apostle fear]

I keep under my body, and bring it into, &c. —ix. 27.

But did the great apostle fear
He should not to the end endure,
Should not hold out, and persevere,
And make his own election sure?
Could Paul believe it possible
When all his toils and griefs were past,
Himself should of salvation fail,
And die a reprobate at last?

Who then art thou that darest reject
The sacred terms, the humbling awe,
As absolutely saved, elect,
And free from an abolish'd law?
Dost thou no self-denial need,
No watch, or abstinence severe,
In one short moment perfected,
An angel, an immortal here!

Saviour, the fond delusion chide
Of novices untaught by Thee,
Abase their self-exalting pride,
And give them eyes themselves to see,
Who now as not a whit behind,
As far beyond, the' apostle soar,
And saints of a superior kind
Can fear, and sin—and die no more.

3092.

[Where is Thy promise? where]

God...will with the temptation also make a way, &c. —x. 13.

Where is Thy promise? where
The way, O Lord, to shun

The pleasing ill, the tempting snare
From which I cannot run?
Unless Thy wisdom make
A way by mercy show'd,
Unless Thou save for Thy own sake
The purchase of Thy blood.

One only means I see
To make my safety sure,
To end the sin and misery
Which must through life endure;
My evil to remove
Jesus Thy blood apply,
Prepare my soul by holy love,
And suffer me to die.

The trials still behind
Enable me to bear,
And hide where sin can never find,
Or sharp temptations tear;
Where all these storms are past
And weary spirits rest,
If scarcely saved, yet saved at last,
And harbour'd in Thy breast.

3093.

[Who truly thinks, and surely knows]

Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed, &c. —x. 12.

Who truly thinks, and surely knows
He stands on Christ the Rock secure,
Must still his enemies oppose,
And watchful to the end endure.
No promise absolute is found,
But who on Him for heaven depend,
We all in every state are bound
To watch, and pray, till life shall end.

If now we freely pardon'd are,
And sink again in careless ease,
No longer watching unto prayer,
We drop our shield, we lose our peace;
And saints who the condition slight
The' apostate's fearful doom shall feel,
And tumble from perfection's height,
And fall into the deepest hell.

3094.

[To the glory of the Lord]

Do all to the glory of God. —x. 31.

To the glory of the Lord
How can I all things do?
Father, speak my soul restored,
Create my heart anew;
When Thine image I retrieve,
United to my Saviour I
Shall in Jesu's Spirit live,
And in His Spirit die.

3095.

[If bold, the highest place I claim]

Give none offence, neither to the Jews, &c. —x. 32.

If bold, the highest place I claim,
My own perfection testify,
Insist that a pure saint I am,
And cannot fall, and cannot die,
Is it a great mistake or small?
A fault that stumbles none? or all?

I thus the pious Jew offend,
Who trembles at a God unknown;
Darkness I make the Heathen blend
With light, and all condemn for one,
The weak I hurt, the lame mislead,
And grieve the Israelites indeed.

But chiefly through my pride of heart,
Great God, I vex Thy glorious eyes,
And force Thy Spirit to depart,
Till cast, like Satan from the skies,
I cry to Him that stain'd the tree,
To save incarnate fiends like me.

3096.

[Farther the' apostle dared not say]

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. —xi. 1.

Farther the' apostle dared not say
To souls begotten by his word,
“Mark how I walk in Christ the Way,
And follow me, as I my Lord;
But if I turn one step aside,
In that desert your wandering guide.”

And shall the chief of every sect
Unlimited obedience claim,
Infallibility affect,
The party call by his own name,
As sworn in all his steps to tread,
Blind followers of their hasty head?

Jesus, rebuke our teaching pride,
Our Babel battlements o'erthrow,
And let whoe'er in Thee confide,
After their perfect Pattern go,
Their sole unerring Leader trace
In all the paths of righteousness.

Give us our ministers to love,
And highly for their work esteem,
But cautious in their steps to move,
And simply follow Thee, not them,
Till Thou, whom above all we prize,
Descend and take us to the skies.

3097.

[Unless Thy Spirit Thy truth reveal]

No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but, &c. —xii. 3.

Unless Thy Spirit Thy truth reveal
That Thou the Lord Jehovah art,
And give me faithfully to feel
Thy Godhead streaming through my heart,
Thee, Jesus, Thee I cannot know,
God over all, made flesh below.

But Thou expiring on the tree
As very man, as very God,
Hast bought the Holy Ghost for me
To' apply, and witness with the blood,
And tell this bounding heart of mine
The blood of sprinkling is Divine.

3098.

[I want that better than the best]

Covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I, &c. —xii. 31.

I want that better than the best:
Ah, bring me, Saviour, from above
A gift surpassing all the rest,
Thy precious self, Thy perfect love.

3099.

[Faith the foundation sure remains]

Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these, &c. —xiii. 13.

Faith the foundation sure remains,
The anchor hope our soul sustains,
But rooted in Thy grace we prove,
The greatest of the three is love.

Faith, hope, and love Thou dost bestow,
To bless, and perfect us below;
Faith, hope, and love on earth are given,
Love only makes an heaven of heaven.

3100.

[That childish ignorance of ill]

In malice be ye children, but in understanding, &c. —xiv. 20.

That childish ignorance of ill,
I long continually to feel,

With ripest understanding join'd,
That judgment of the heavenly mind;
My absolute simplicity
I owe to none, O God, but Thee,
And blindly to Thy will submit,
Implicit, passive at Thy feet.

On creatures I no more rely,
But cautiously the spirits try;
My best-enlighten'd reason use,
The good to take, the bad refuse.
I dare not hastily believe,
I dare not aught unproved receive,
Nor follow man before I see
How far my leader follows Thee.

Ah, give me wisdom to discern,
What I through instruments may learn;
Ah, give me, Lord, Thyself to know,
And daily in Thy grace to grow;
My faith and patient love increase,
My real life of holiness,
Till bright, I with Thy brightness shine,
A perfect man, a man Divine.

3101.

[A sinner saved through Jesu's grace]

I...am not meet to be called an apostle, because, &c. —xv. 9.

A sinner saved through Jesu's grace
Will never his past sins forget,
Or claim the most exalted place,
But humbled at his Saviour's feet
With deeper shame his vileness own,
And glory give to God alone.

If call'd his office to extol,
Himself he cannot magnify;

The Lord, he cries, be all in all,
A sinner, and their chief, am I;
A Saul, a murderer forgiven,
Worthy of hell, I sink—to heaven.

3102.

[O for that just humility]

Yet not I, but the grace. —xv. 10.

O for that just humility,
Which gives whate'er is good to Thee,
Teaches Thine instrument to cry
The Lord He doth the work, not I!
Take all the glory of Thy grace,
Take all the everlasting praise!

3103.

[Let the fond joy of grace decay]

That which thou sowest is not quickened, &c. —xv. 36.

Let the fond joy of grace decay,
Pass my boasted gifts away,
My comforts all expire!
When nature's long-lived will is dead,
Then shall the' incorruptible seed
Spring up in pure desire.

My grain of faith, my buried grain
He shall bring to life again,
Who did the blessing give:
Then shall I live to God alone,
And taken up to share His throne,
With Christ triumphant live.

3104.

[O blessed hope of life to come]

It is sown in corruption; it is raised in, &c. —xv. 42.

O blessed hope of life to come,
Life which beyond the grave I see!
This body tottering o'er a tomb,
Committed to the ground shall be:
'Tis sown a corruptible seed,
A lump of putrefying clay;

'Tis raised immortal from the dead,
No more to moulder, or decay.

3105.

[Soon as I render up the ghost]

It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory. —xv. 43.

Soon as I render up the ghost,
The worm on this vile body preys,
Shocking to those who loved it most,
'Tis sown in ruinous disgrace,
Loathsome, removed from human sight,
It heavenly dignity receives,
And clothed with robes of purest light,
And glorious as its Maker lives.

3106.

[This flesh at the last gasp restores]

It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. —xv. 43.

This flesh at the last gasp restores
The feeble strength it once enjoy'd,
Deprived of all its active force,
It lies of sense and motion void;
But raised in power to reach the skies,
Inspired with vigorous life unknown,
With lightning wing'd, it mounts, it flies,
It stands before the Saviour's throne!

3107.

[A body natural, by food]

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a, &c. —xv. 44.

A body natural, by food
And sleep sustain'd, to death I give;
A body spiritual, endued
With nobler qualities, receive,
A permanent, ethereal frame,
From all material dregs refined,
Composed of pure angelic flame,
And meet for mine eternal mind.

3108.

[Stupendous word of power Divine!]

We shall all be changed, in a moment, &c. —xv. 51, 52.

Stupendous word of power Divine!
“And cannot the Almighty raise

Into a saint this soul of mine,
Transform'd by instantaneous grace?”
He can the general guilt remove,
This moment speak our sins forgiven,
And perfect all mankind in love,
And snatch us up at once to heaven.

He can; but hath He said, He will?
His word must His design explain;
Or doth He thus with sinners deal,
And give the tree before the grain?
He wills us long in grace to grow,
He bids us step by step proceed:
And on we to perfection go,
Till made in all things like our Head.

3109.

[Lord, throughout our evil day]

Watch ye. —xvi. 13.

Lord, throughout our evil day
Thy guardian grace bestow,
Constant power to watch and pray
Against our threefold foe,
Lest we let the tempter in
No longer by Thy strength withheld,
Parley with the world and sin,
And cast away our shield.

Thou who gav'st the word to all
To us Thy Spirit give;
Ceaseless then on Thee we call,
In Thee we walk and live,
Enter that celestial rest
(If watching by our Master found)
With Thy endless blessing blest,
And with Thy glory crown'd.

3110.

[Author of our faith, we look]

Stand fast in the faith. —xvi. 13.

Author of our faith, we look
For stronger faith to Thee,
Bless us, Thou eternal Rock,
With Thy stability;
Steadfast and unmoveable,
We then shall in Thy love remain,
Never faint, and never fail,
And never sin again.

Kept by Thine almighty hand,
We our Supporter own,
Humbly, confidently stand,
Till perfected in one;
Stand till with Thy saints in light,
We see Thee pompously descend;
Stand till faith improve to sight,
And grace in glory end.

3111.

[Toss'd too long by every wind]

Quit you like men, be strong. —xvi. 13.

Toss'd too long by every wind,
And carried to and fro,
Jesus, in Thy constant mind,
The stablish'd state we know.
Mighty out of weakness made,
(If strength for us our God ordain)
Courage to our faith we add,
And babes grow up to men.

Strengthen'd by Thy Spirit's might,
We now the world oppose,
Manfully maintain the fight,
Against our hellish foes.

Trample sin beneath our feet,
Out of our hearts for ever cast,
Then the victory is complete,
And death expires the last.

3112.

[All our best performances]

Let all your things be done with charity. —xvi. 14.

All our best performances
Without love can never please;
All our pains are misemploy'd,
Worthless in the sight of God;
But the touch of love Divine
Makes our meanest actions shine,
Casts us in a finer mould,
Turns our nature's dross to gold.

Gracious Lord, implant in me
That celestial charity,
Let my every word and deed
From a loving heart proceed,
Hence may all my tempers rise,
Then accept my sacrifice,
Then in all my nature own
The pure Spirit of Thy Son.

3113.

[When we all things do in love]

When we all things do in love,
To man for Jesus' sake,
Then the mind of Christ we prove,
The nature we partake;
Walk unblameable in white,
Fulfil whate'er His laws enjoin,
Comprehend the depth and height
Of holiness within.

Father, send into our hearts
His Spirit from above,

Write it in our inward parts,
The law of perfect love.
Hence let all our works proceed,
All our words and tempers pure,
Then in Jesus' steps we tread,
And then our heaven is sure.

3114.

[Let all be done in love!]

Let all be done in love!
That thus we all may do,
Jesus, the enmity remove,
Create our souls anew:
The gift unspeakable,
The grace to us impart,
And O, vouchsafe Thyself to dwell
In every longing heart.

If Thou in us reside
Who Thy commands receive,
And steadfastly in Thee abide,
And in Thy Spirit live;
Then, only then we prove
The perfect charity,
And all our works are wrought in love,
When all are wrought in Thee.

3115.

[That wretched man accursed am I]

If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, &c. —xvi. 22.

That wretched man accursed am I,
Till Jesus doth His blood apply,
My misery to remove:
Convinced of unbelief I groan,
For whom I never yet have known
I cannot, cannot love.

But, Lord, my heart is known to Thee,
Who lov'dst, and gav'st Thyself for me,
To purge my guilty stain,

To save me from the curse of sin,
My poor obdurate heart to win,
And make me love again.

I long to love my bleeding Lord,
And listening for the gracious word,
Still at Thy cross I bow;
Thyself as crucified display,
And thus constrain my soul to say,
Thou know'st I love Thee now!

3116.

[To Christ a wretched stranger]

To Christ a wretched stranger,
And long insensible,
My misery, sin, and danger,
I now with sorrow feel;
Void of Divine affection,
Accursed I still remain,
And dread extreme rejection,
Into eternal pain.

A conscious unbeliever,
Ah, whither shall I fly?
The death that lasts for ever
Worthy I am to die:
In bitterness of spirit
I own my crime abhorr'd,
Bought by His dying merit
I do not love my Lord.

Thou universal Lover
Of helpless misery,
Thou only didst discover
My want of love for Thee.

Thou, Lord, my wish inspirest
To know Thee as Thou art;
To be what Thou desirest,
To give Thee all my heart.

A token of Thy favour,
My burden I receive;
My manifested Saviour,
Thou wilt Thy Spirit give.
My deeply-felt affliction
This unbelief remove,—
This load of malediction,
And bless me with Thy love.

University of Virginia Library

I. CORINTHIANS.

3073.

[The foolishness of preaching hear]