 | I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
 | V. |
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| II. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
 | The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
II. PETER.
3383.
[Knowing that reconciled Thou art]
Make your calling and election sure.
—i. 10.
Knowing that reconciled Thou art,
I make my calling sure;
But stamp Thine image on my heart,
But speak my nature pure:
Then, only then, elect I am,
When sanctified by grace,
And sure, inscribed with Thy new name,
To see Thy glorious face.
190
3384.
[How shall I make my calling sure?]
How shall I make my calling sure?
By penitence and faith in Thee
(Whose death my pardon did procure
And bought eternal life for me).
By penitence and faith in Thee
(Whose death my pardon did procure
And bought eternal life for me).
By wrestling on in instant prayer,
By listening to the gospel-word,
Till Thou Thy saving name declare,
And faith beholds its bleeding Lord.
By listening to the gospel-word,
Till Thou Thy saving name declare,
And faith beholds its bleeding Lord.
Soon as the blood has touch'd my heart
I my effectual calling know,
From all iniquity depart,
And in Thy shining footsteps go;
I my effectual calling know,
From all iniquity depart,
And in Thy shining footsteps go;
Walking in Thee, I go in peace
Thine acceptable will to prove,
And follow after holiness,
True holiness, and perfect love.
Thine acceptable will to prove,
And follow after holiness,
True holiness, and perfect love.
Daily I now myself deny,
Daily my welcome cross sustain,
Till every vile affection die,
And not one sinful thought remain.
Daily my welcome cross sustain,
Till every vile affection die,
And not one sinful thought remain.
When Satan hath in me no part,
And stamp'd with Thy good Spirit's seal,
I love Thee, Lord, with all my heart,
I then my sure election feel:
And stamp'd with Thy good Spirit's seal,
I love Thee, Lord, with all my heart,
I then my sure election feel:
Renew'd I in Thy image rise,
Nor ever grieve Thy goodness more,
But grasp my calling's glorious prize,
And God in spirit and truth adore.
Nor ever grieve Thy goodness more,
But grasp my calling's glorious prize,
And God in spirit and truth adore.
O that the promised time were come,
O that Thou wouldst the heavens bow,
And let a ransom'd worm presume
To look for Thy appearing now.
O that Thou wouldst the heavens bow,
And let a ransom'd worm presume
To look for Thy appearing now.
191
Now, Saviour, bring the joyful hour,
(If pardon in Thy blood I have,)
With all Thy sanctifying power,
Make speed to help, make haste to save.
(If pardon in Thy blood I have,)
With all Thy sanctifying power,
Make speed to help, make haste to save.
Tell me my faith hath made me whole,
And throughly wash'd in Thy own blood,
Save, to the utmost save my soul,
And plunge me in the depths of God.
And throughly wash'd in Thy own blood,
Save, to the utmost save my soul,
And plunge me in the depths of God.
3385.
[Wrestling on for faith's increase]
So an entrance shall be ministered unto you, &c.
—i. 11.
Wrestling on for faith's increase,
Striving to perform His will,
Labouring after holiness,
Straining up perfection's hill,
Let me thus till death be found;
Dying thus I shall not die,
But with brighter glory crown'd
Reign with Christ above the sky.
3386.
[I too, forewarn'd by Jesu's love]
Shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, &c.
—i. 14.
I too, forewarn'd by Jesu's love,
Must shortly lay my body down;
But ere my soul from earth remove,
O let me put Thine image on!
Saviour, Thy meek and lowly mind
Be to Thine aged servant given,
And glad I'll drop this tent, to find
Mine everlasting house in heaven.
3387.
[Stranger to holy joy and peace]
That cannot cease from sin.
—ii. 14.
Stranger to holy joy and peace,
And all the things above,
I never can from sinning cease,
Till I begin to love.
My vows and promises are vain,
And full of good desire,
When sin returns, I melt again,
As wax before the fire.
And all the things above,
192
Till I begin to love.
My vows and promises are vain,
And full of good desire,
When sin returns, I melt again,
As wax before the fire.
Sinking at last in just despair,
Beneath the tyrant's power;
No longer to resolve I dare,
I fight with sin no more;
No more presume for help to call,
Or fruitless prayers repeat,
But a mere guilty sinner fall
At the Redeemer's feet.
Beneath the tyrant's power;
No longer to resolve I dare,
I fight with sin no more;
No more presume for help to call,
Or fruitless prayers repeat,
But a mere guilty sinner fall
At the Redeemer's feet.
Here will I ever, ever lie,
And weep, and breathe my last,
Unless the God that stoop'd to die
A look of pity cast,
See me expiring in my blood,
And point me to His own,
Which quench'd the righteous wrath of God,
And speaks before the throne.
And weep, and breathe my last,
Unless the God that stoop'd to die
A look of pity cast,
See me expiring in my blood,
And point me to His own,
Which quench'd the righteous wrath of God,
And speaks before the throne.
3388.
[A dog, and worse, alas, am I]
The dog is turned to his own vomit again.
—ii. 22.
A dog, and worse, alas, am I
Who to my vomit turn again,
A thousand times with sin comply,
A thousand times repent in vain;
And then indulge my heart's desire,
And wallow in the brutish mire.
Who to my vomit turn again,
A thousand times with sin comply,
A thousand times repent in vain;
And then indulge my heart's desire,
And wallow in the brutish mire.
Jesus, my refuge in despair,
While unconsumed on earth I live,
If yet Thou canst the sinner bear,
Canst so abundantly forgive,
This only once my peace restore,
But lift me up to fall no more.
While unconsumed on earth I live,
193
Canst so abundantly forgive,
This only once my peace restore,
But lift me up to fall no more.
Pardon itself avails me not,
Unless the pardon I retain;
My sins out of Thy memory blot,
Out of my soul erase the stain;
The root uptear, the mount remove,
And save me by Thine utmost love.
Unless the pardon I retain;
My sins out of Thy memory blot,
Out of my soul erase the stain;
The root uptear, the mount remove,
And save me by Thine utmost love.
3389.
[Jesus, our true and faithful Lord]
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise.
—iii. 9.
Jesus, our true and faithful Lord,
Thy promise we receive,
Thou art not slow to keep Thy word,
But we are, to believe:
Should we throughout our seventy years
For Thy appearing stay,
A thousand, when Thy face appears,
Would seem but as one day.
3390.
[If Thou require my soul this night]
Be diligent, that ye may be found of Him, &c.
—iii. 14.
If Thou require my soul this night,
Shall I be found of Thee in peace,
Shall I be blameless in Thy sight,
And perfected in holiness?
Alas, I am not as Thou art,
I am not for Thy presence meet:
O spare, till Thou hast changed my heart,
And find me weeping at Thy feet.
3391.
[I do with all my soul believe]
Account that the long-suffering of our Lord, &c.
—iii. 15.
I do with all my soul believe,
Thou hast so long my manners borne,
194
And saved at last, to God return:
Entering into Thy love's design,
I now expect the grace unknown,
Saviour, conform my heart to Thine,
And let Thine utmost will be done.
3392.
[Astonish'd at Thy patient love]
Astonish'd at Thy patient love
Which lets me load the earth so long,
O could I from my sins remove,
Cease an indulgent God to wrong;
Answer Thy merciful design,
And in my own salvation join.
Which lets me load the earth so long,
O could I from my sins remove,
Cease an indulgent God to wrong;
Answer Thy merciful design,
And in my own salvation join.
Thou bidd'st me put my sins away,
But Thou must give the' obedient power,
And therefore doth Thy Spirit stay,
Protract the acceptable hour;
Bestow the penitential space,
And lengthen out my evil days.
But Thou must give the' obedient power,
And therefore doth Thy Spirit stay,
Protract the acceptable hour;
Bestow the penitential space,
And lengthen out my evil days.
Year after year for this I live,
That by long-suffering love subdued,
I may at last through faith retrieve
The favour and the form of God;
May in true holiness arise,
Meet for a throne above the skies.
That by long-suffering love subdued,
I may at last through faith retrieve
The favour and the form of God;
May in true holiness arise,
Meet for a throne above the skies.
| The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |