The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

What is that meetness for the skies?
Hard labouring in the vale below,
I ask, “What is my calling's prize?”
And all within me groans to know:
Who shall that holiness explain?
Adam, descended from above,
Answer by forming me again,
By perfecting my soul in love.

3192.

[What is that gospel-hope?]

Be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. —i. 23.

What is that gospel-hope?
To be redeem'd from sin,
After His likeness to wake up,
Holy and pure within;
The Lord with all our mind,
And soul and strength to love;
To lose our life for Christ, and find
A better life above.

This hope of holiness,
Still may I hold it fast,
And toward the prize unwearied press,
Till all my deaths are past!

My Captain and my Head
Did to the end endure:
And I through sufferings perfected,
Shall find His promise sure.

The men that know not God
May cry, “It cannot be,”
That heart-felt pardon in His blood,
That sinless liberty:
The world blaspheme in vain,
I still my point pursue,
Assured, though every child of man
Be false, yet God is true.

False-witnesses may rise,
Me from my hope to move,
Pretenders to the glorious prize,
The pure, consummate love:
Though crowds believe a lie,
Nor reach the perfect day,
I set the self-deceivers by,
And still hold on my way.

I trust in Thee alone,
Who never canst deceive,
(After I have Thy pleasure done)
The promised grace to give,
The holiness complete,
The spotless purity,
The perfect love, which makes me meet
To share a throne with Thee.

3193.

[The sufferings which the body bears]

And fill up that which is behind of the, &c. —i. 24.

The sufferings which the body bears,
Are still the sufferings of the Head,

While every true disciple shares
The cross on which his Saviour bled,
The members all His cup partake,
And daily die for Jesu's sake.

My calling now I clearly see,
And from the stock of sacred pains
Accept the' allotted misery,
The blessing which for me remains,
Hated, reviled, afflicted live,
And with the Man of sorrows grieve.

Whate'er the members must endure,
Resign'd through life I undergo,
Not grace or pardon to procure,
But Jesu's patient mind to show,
And, all His saving virtue prove,
Through sufferings perfected in love.

As favours from my kindest Lord,
My deaths I joyfully sustain,
Indulged to' enhance my great reward,
When coming with His saints to reign,
I see, I meet the Crucified,
I sit triumphant at His side!

3194.

[The mystery so long unknown]

Christ in you, the hope of glory. —i. 27.

The mystery so long unknown
Is manifest in Christ alone:
The fulness of the Deity
Resides eternally in Thee:
Jesus, to me the secret tell,
Thyself, the Gift unspeakable,
The hope of heavenly bliss impart,
The glorious earnest in my heart.

3195.

[The gospel mystery]

The gospel mystery,
To ages past unknown,
Is manifest, O Christ, with Thee
Inhabiting Thine own.
What tongue can ne'er express
The joy of saints Thou art,
The taste of glorious happiness,
In every faithful heart.

To this poor heart of mine,
Jesus, Thyself reveal,
The earnest sure of joys Divine,
And my salvation seal:
I only live for this
To know Thy pardoning grace,
Anticipate that heavenly bliss,
And die in Thy embrace.

3196.

[What heart can e'er conceive]

Ye are complete in Him. —ii. 10.

What heart can e'er conceive,
The gospel mystery?
A sinner in myself I live,
Out of myself in Thee.
I as my own disclaim,
Whate'er is good or great,
And while in Thee, O Christ, I am,
I am in Thee complete.

3197.

[Come let us rise with Christ our Head]

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those, &c. —iii. 1, 2.

Come let us rise with Christ our Head,
And seek the things above,
By the almighty Spirit led
And fill'd with faith and love;

Our hearts detach'd from all below
Should after Him ascend,
And only wish the joy to know
Of our triumphant Friend.

Enthroned at God's right-hand He sits
Maintainer of our cause,
Till every vanquish'd foe submits
To His victorious cross;
Worthy to be exalted thus
The Lamb for sinners slain,
The Lord our King, who reigns for us,
And shall for ever reign.

To Him our willing hearts we give
Who gives us power and peace,
And dead to sin, His members live
The life of righteousness;
The hidden life of Christ is ours
With Christ conceal'd above,
And tasting the celestial powers
We banquet on His love.

3198.

[Ye faithful souls, who Jesus know]

Ye faithful souls, who Jesus know,
If risen indeed with Him ye are,
Superior to the joys below,
His resurrection's power declare,
Your faith by holy tempers prove,
By actions show your sins forgiven,
And seek the glorious things above,
And follow Christ your Head to heaven.

There your exalted Saviour see
Seated at God's right-hand again,
In all His Father's majesty,
In everlasting pomp to reign:

To Him continually aspire,
Contending for your native place,
And emulate the angel-choir,
And only live to love and praise.

3199.

[For who by faith your Lord receive]

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with, &c. —iii. 3, 4.

For who by faith your Lord receive,
Ye nothing seek or want beside;
Dead to the world and sin ye live,
Your creature-love is crucified:
Your real life with Christ conceal'd
Deep in the Father's bosom lies,
And glorious as your Head reveal'd,
Ye soon shall meet Him in the skies.

3200.

[Wherefore, ye saints, with resolute zeal]

Mortify...your members which are upon the, &c. —iii. 5.

Wherefore, ye saints, with resolute zeal,
Your members to destruction give,
Which would on earthly objects dwell,
And thence their nourishment receive;
Vengeance on your oppressors take,
Actions, and words, and thoughts unclean,
Evil desires, which jointly make
The body foul of inbred sin.

Put him to death, the Adam old,
Passions inordinate and blind,
Lusts of the flesh to evil sold,
The selfish will, the carnal mind:
Nail'd to the cross if now they bleed,
Persist to persecute and kill;
Daily die on, already dead,
And mortify your members still.

Not out of nature's reach, fight on,
Not from the grossest sins secure,

Your bodies with your arms lay down,
Nor think till death the crown is sure;
Till then for no dismission look,
Your victory o'er the flesh repeat,
And slay with a continual stroke,
Till death be put beneath your feet.

3201.

[May we not 'scape the killing pain]

May we not 'scape the killing pain,
And perfected this moment be?
This moment, Lord, if Thou ordain,
We can the final victory
O'er hell, the world, and death, and sin,
With everlasting glory win.

But if Thou bidd'st us mortify
Our lusts and passions here below,
Take up our cross, and daily die,
And in Thy gracious knowledge grow,
Who shall Thine oracles gainsay,
Or dare prescribe a shorter way?

We, Jesus, will on Thee attend,
To Thee the times and seasons leave,
Labouring, and suffering to the end,
Till Thou the long-sought blessing give,
And seal us, perfectly restored,
True followers of our silent Lord.

3202.

[But did the saints of God, the dead]

But now ye also put off all these; anger, &c. —iii. 8, 9.

But did the saints of God, the dead
With Christ, the partners of His rise,
The Spirit's strongest cautions need
'Gainst every sin, and every vice?
O what are men (if God remove)
The best, the perfected in love?

The holiest, who their watch remit,
May sink into the tempter's snare,
Will fall into the hellish pit,
Unless with humble ceaseless prayer
They to the last themselves deny,
And conquerors in the harness die.

3203.

[O that the pure engrafted word]

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. —iii. 16.

O that the pure engrafted word
In us abundantly might dwell,
And mix'd with faith in Christ our Lord
The riches of His grace reveal,
Wealth which supports the thrones above,
And treasures of eternal love.

Jesus, assist us to believe,
And then the word Thy wealth imparts:
The word which Thou art pleased to give,
Is life and spirit in our hearts;
And fills with all the Deity,
Inspoken, and inspired by Thee.

University of Virginia Library

COLOSSIANS.

3191.

[What is that meetness for the skies?]