The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

The joy that swells a bridegroom's breast,
When glorying o'er his long sought bride,
Shall swell thy God, of thee possess'd,
Of thee, for whom He lived and died.

Prophets to thee thy Lord hath raised,
O holy city of our God,
Hath on thy walls His watchmen placed,
And with a trumpet-voice endued.

They cry, and never hold their peace,
His promise day and night they plead,
Till God from all thy sins release,
And make thee like thy glorious Head.

314

Call on Him now, ye watchmen call,
Cry ye remembrancers Divine,
Give Him no rest, who died for all,
Till all in His pure worship join:

Till God appear the faithful God,
And make Jerusalem a praise,
And spread through all the earth abroad,
And 'stablish her with perfect grace.

The Lord by His right hand hath sworn,
The arm of His almighty power,
No more shalt thou to sin return,
Thy enemy shall no more devour.

Satan, the world, and sin too long
Have robb'd the children of their bread,
Poor labouring souls they suffer'd wrong,
Nor saw their legal toil succeed.

They sow'd the ground, and did not reap,
Planted, and did not drink the wine:
But I will comfort all that weep,
And fill the poor with food Divine.

No more shall strange desires consume
Their holy, pure and constant joy,
The waster pride no more shall come,
Their gifts and graces to destroy.

Surely the faithful seed at last
The labour of their hands shall eat,
Shall praise the Lord, and more than taste
The heavenly everlasting meat.

They all shall sit beneath the vine,
In calm inviolable peace,
And drink within My courts the wine,
My courts of perfect holiness.

315

Go through the gates, ('tis God commands,)
Workers with God, the charge obey,
Remove whate'er His work withstands,
Prepare, prepare His people's way.

Their even course let nothing stop,
Cast up the way, the stones remove,
The high and holy way cast up,
The gospel way of perfect love.

Lift up for all mankind to see
The standard of their dying God,
And point them to the shameful tree,
The cross all stain'd with hallow'd blood.

The Lord hath glorified His grace,
Throughout the earth proclaim'd His Son;
Say ye to all the sinful race,
He died for all your sins to' atone.

Sion, thy suffering God behold,
Thy Saviour and salvation too,
He comes, He comes, so long foretold,
Clothed in a vest of bloody hue.

Himself prepares His people's hearts,
Breaks and binds up, and wounds and heals,
A mystic death, and life imparts,
Empties the full, the emptied fills.

He fills whom first He hath prepared,
With Him the perfect grace is given,
Himself is here their great reward,
Their future and their present heaven.

They now the holy people named,
Their glorious title shall express,
From all iniquity redeem'd,
Fill'd with the Lord their righteousness.

316

A chosen, saved, peculiar race,
Sion, with all thy sons thou art,
Elect through sanctifying grace,
Perfect in love, and pure in heart.

University of Virginia Library

VI. THE SIXTY-SECOND CHAPTER OF ISAIAH.