We sang this yesterday in our meeting; all nine verses of it. I will resist the temptation to preach it to you but do Deut 33:26-29 and see what Wesley has done with 4 Bible verses. Jeshurun means My Righteous or Upright One. This was God's intention for His people... and He hasn't changed His mind.

NONE is like Jeshurun's God,
So great, so strong, so high,
Lo! he spreads His wings abroad,
He rides upon the sky!
Israel, His first-born son;
God, the Eternal God, is thine;
See him in thy help come down,
The excellence divine.

2 Thee the great Jehovah deigns
To succour and defend;
Thee the eternal God sustains,
Thy Maker and thy friend:
Sinner, what hast thou to dread?
Safe from all impending harms,
God hath underneath thee spread
His everlasting arms.

3 God is thine; disdain to fear
The enemy within:
God shall in thy flesh appear,
And make an end of sin;
God the man of sin shall slay:
Fill thee with triumphant joy;
God shall thrust him out, and say,
"Destroy them all, destroy!"

4 All the struggle then is o'er,
And wars and fightings cease,
Israel then shall sin no more,
But dwell in perfect peace;
All his enemies are gone;
Sin shall have in him no part;
Israel now shall dwell alone,
With Jesus in his heart.

5 In a land of corn and wine
His lot shall be below;
Comforts there, and blessings join,
And milk and honey flow;
Jacob's well is in his soul;
Gracious dew his heavens distil,
Fill his spirit, already full,
And shall for ever fill.

6 Blest, O Israel, art thou!
What people is like thee?
Saved from sin, by Jesus, now
Thou art, and still shalt be;
Jesus is thy seven-fold shield,
Jesus is thy flaming sword;
Earth, and hell, and sin, shall yield
To God's almighty Word.

7 God’s almighty Word shall stand;
Thine enemies shall fall,
Fade away at His command,
And sink and perish all:
Liars shall they all be found,
All who cried, “It cannot be,
Sin should ever quit its ground,
And have no place in thee.”

8 Christ shall make thee free indeed
When He appears within;
Thou on self and pride shalt tread,
On all the strength of sin;
Thou shalt more than conquer it;
Thou shalt see it all depart,
See it dead beneath thy feet,
No longer in thy heart.

9 God, the gracious God and true,
Hath spoke the faithful word:
He the mighty work shall do;
Our trust is in the Lord;
He the mountain shall remove,
He the sinner shall restore,
He shall perfect me in love,

_________________
Ron Bailey

Another glorious Wesley hymn needing no introduction.

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its Beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.


and the tune is hyfrydol

_________________
Ron Bailey

Another permanent favourite...

1 THOU Shepherd of Israel, and mine,
The joy and desire of my heart,
For closer communion I pine,
I long to reside where Thou art:
The pasture I languish to find
Where all, who their Shepherd obey.
Are fed, on Thy bosom reclined,
And screened from the heat of the day.

2 Ah! show me that happiest place,
That place of Thy people's abode,
Where saints in an ecstasy gaze,
And hang on a crucified God;
Thy love for a sinner declare,
Thy passion and death on the tree;
My spirit to Calvary bear,
To suffer and triumph with thee.

3 'Tis there, with the lambs of thy flock,
There only, I covet to rest,
To lie at the foot of the rock,
Or rise to be hid in Thy breast;
'Tis there I would always abide,
And never a moment depart,
Concealed in the cleft of Thy side,
Eternally held in Thy heart.

How good is the God we adore,
Our faithful unchangeable Friend:
Whose love is as great as His power,
And knows neither measure nor end.
'Tis Jesus, the First and the Last,
Whose Spirit shall guide us safe home;
We'll praise Him for all that is past,
And trust Him for all that's to come.

The last verse was by Joseph Hart

_________________
Ron Bailey

This is probably a better known hymn in some circles but I have tried to restore the missing verses.

The phrase 'His love shall cross my fond desires' is my definition of the working of the cross in the life of the believer, but a wonderful 'coincidence' that the word 'cross' can be both noun and verb!

And what about that glorious confidence in the last verse...

All the attributes Divine
Are now at work for me.


1 AWAY, my needless fears,
And doubts no longer mine!
A ray of heavenly light appears,
A messenger Divine.

2 Thrice comfortable hope,
That calms my stormy breast;
My Father's hand prepares the cup,
And what He wills is best.

He knows whate’er I want,
And sees my helplessness,
My Father’s hand prepares the cup,
And what He wills is best.

My fearful heart He reads,
Secures my soul from harms,
And underneath His mercy spreads
Its everlasting arms.

His skill infallible,
His providential grace,
His power, and truth, that never fail,
Shall order all my ways.

3 If what I wish is good,
And suits the will Divine;
By earth and hell in vain withstood,
I know it shall be mine.

4 Still let them counsel take
To frustrate His decree,
They cannot keep a blessing back
By heaven designed for me.

[i]If what my soul requires
Evil to me shall prove,
His love shall cross my fond desires,
His kindly jealous love:[/i]

5 Here then I doubt no more,
But in His pleasure rest,
Whose wisdom, love, and truth, and power,
Engage to make me blest.

[i]6 To accomplish his design
The creatures all agree;
And all the attributes Divine
Are now at work for me.[/i]

_________________
Ron Bailey

Here's a 10 verse Wesley prayer for the last day of the year, especially verse 10...

Jesus, Thy boundless love to me
No thought can reach, no tongue declare;
Unite my thankful heart with Thee
And reign without a rival there.
Thine wholly, Thine alone I am:
Be Thou alone my constant flame.

O, grant that nothing in my soul
May dwell but Thy pure love alone!
Oh, may Thy love possess me whole,
My joy, my treasure, and my crown!
All coldness from my heart remove;
My every act, word, thought, be love.

O love, how cheering is thy ray!
All pain before thy presence flies;
Care, anguish, sorrow, melt away
Wherever thy healing beams arise.
O Jesus, nothing may I see,
Nothing hear, feel, or think but Thee!

My Saviour, Thou Thy love to me
In shame, in want, in pain, hast showed;
For me, on the accursed tree,
Thou pouredst forth Thy guiltless blood;
Thy wounds upon my heart impress,
Nor aught shall the loved stamp efface.

More hard than marble is my heart,
And foul with sins of deepest stain;
But Thou the mighty Saviour art,
Nor flowed thy cleansing blood in vain;
Ah soften, melt this rock, and may
Thy blood wash all these stains away!

O that I, as a little child,
May follow Thee, and never rest
Till sweetly Thou hast breathed Thy mild
And lowly mind into my breast!
Nor ever may we parted be,
Till I become one spirit with Thee.

What in Thy love possess I not?
My Star by night, my Sun by day;
My Spring of Life when parched with drought,
My Wine to cheer, my Bread to stay,
My Strength, my Shield, my safe Abode,
My Robe before the throne of God!!

Still let Thy love point out my way;
How wondrous things Thy love hath wrought!
Still lead me, lest I go astray;
Direct my word, inspire my thought;
And if I fall, soon may I hear
Thy voice, and know that love is near.

In suffering be Thy love my peace,
In weakness be Thy love my power;
And when the storms of life shall cease,
Jesus, in that important hour,
In death as life be Thou my guide,
And save me, Who for me hast died.

Unwearied may I this pursue,
Dauntless to the high prize aspire;
Hourly within my breast renew
This holy flame, this heavenly fire;
And day and night be all my care
To guard this sacred treasure there.

_________________
Ron Bailey

Psa 93:1-5 KJV The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. (2) Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. (3) The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. (4) The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. (5) Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.


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 Hehe 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, for infinite love.

_________________
Ron Bailey

The Wesley brothers believed that their special stewardship was the truth of Sanctification 'here'. You will see the word 'here' scattered throughout this wonderful hymn that puts the responsibility for sanctification where is belongs... Jesus, look to Thy faithfulness.

1 All things are possible to him
That can in Jesu's name believe:
Lord, I no more thy truth blaspheme,
Thy truth I lovingly receive;
I can, I do believe in thee,
All things are possible to me.

2 The most impossible of all
Is, that I e'er from sin should cease;
Yet shall it be, I know it shall;
Jesus, look to thy faithfulness!
If nothing is too hard for thee,
All things are possible to me.

3 Though earth and hell the word gainsay,
The word of God can never fail;
The Lamb shall take my sins away,
'Tis certain, though impossible;
The thing impossible shall be,
All things are possible to me.

4 When thou the work of faith hast wrought,
I here shall in thine image shine,
Nor sin in deed, or word, or thought;
Let men exclaim, and fiends repine,
They cannot break the firm decree;
All things are possible to me.

The unchangeable decree is past,
The sure predestinating word,
That I, who on my Lord am cast,
I shall be like my sinless Lord;
‘Twas fixed from all eternity:
All things are possible to me.

5 Thy mouth, O Lord, hath spoke, hath sworn
That I shall serve thee without fear,
Shall find the pearl which others spurn,
Holy, and pure, and perfect here,
The servant as his Lord shall be;
All things are possible to me.

6 All things are possible to God,
To Christ, the power of God in man,
To me, when I am all renewed,
When I in Christ am born again,
And witness, from all sin set free,
All things are possible to me.

_________________
Ron Bailey

I quoted recently from this hymn in the Abraham, My Friend meditations and thought you might appreciate the whole hymn.

1 GOD, of good the unfathomed sea!
Who would not give his heart to thee?
Who would not love thee with his might?
O Jesu, lover of mankind,
Who would not his whole soul and mind,
With all his strength, to thee unite?

2 Thou shin'st with everlasting rays;
Before the insufferable blaze
Angels with both Wings veil their eyes;
Yet free as air thy bounty streams
On all thy works; thy mercy's beams
Diffusive as thy sun's arise.

3 Astonished at thy frowning brow,
Earth, hell, and heaven's strong pillars bow;
Terrible majesty is thine!
Who then can that vast love express
Which bows thee down to me, who less
Than nothing am, till thou art mine?

4 High throned on heaven's eternal hill,
In number, weight, and measure still
Thou sweetly orderest all that is:
And yet thou deign'st to come to me,
And guide my steps, that I, with thee
Enthroned, may reign in endless bliss.

5 Fountain of good! all blessing flows
From thee; no want thy fulness knows;
What but thyself canst thou desire?
Yes; self-sufficient as thou art,
Thou dost desire my worthless heart;
This, only this, dost thou require.

6 Primeval Beauty! in thy sight
The first-born, fairest sons of light
See all their brightest glories fade:
What then to me thine eyes could turn,
In sin conceived, of woman born,
A worm, a leaf, a blast, a shade?

7 Hell's armies tremble at thy nod,
And trembling own the Almighty God,
Sovereign of earth, hell, air, and sky:
But who is this that comes from far,
Whose garments rolled in blood appear?
'Tis God made man, for man to die!

8 O God, of good the unfathomed sea!
Who would not give his heart to thee?
Who would not love thee with his might?
O Jesu, lover of mankind,
Who would not his whole soul and mind,
With all his strength, to thee unite?

_________________
Ron Bailey

A translation of the hymn "O Jesu Christ, mein schönstes Licht" by Paul Gerhardt translated into English by John Wesley. John Wesley taught himself German in order to communicate with Moravian Missionaries on board ship in his journey to the 'colonies'.

Jesus, Thy boundless love to me
No thought can reach, no tongue declare;
Unite my thankful heart with Thee
And reign without a rival there.
To Thee alone, dear Lord, I live;
Myself to Thee, dear Lord, I give.

O, grant that nothing in my soul
May dwell but Thy pure love alone!
Oh, may Thy love possess me whole,
My joy, my treasure, and my crown!
All coldness from my heart remove;
My every act, word, thought, be love.

O Love, how cheering is thy ray!
All pain before thy presence flies;
Care, anguish, sorrow, melt away
Wherever thy healing beams arise.
O Jesus, nothing may I see,
Nothing desire or seek, but Thee!

This love unwearied I pursue
And dauntlessly to Thee aspire.
Oh, may Thy love my hope renew,
Burn in my soul like heavenly fire!
And day and night be all my care
To guard this sacred treasure there.

My Savior, Thou Thy love to me
In shame, in want, in pain, hast showed;
For me, on the accursèd tree,
Thou pourest forth Thy guiltless blood;
Thy wounds upon my heart impress,
Nor aught shall the loved stamp efface.

More hard than marble is my heart,
And foul with sins of deepest stain;
But Thou the mighty Savior art,
Nor flowed thy cleansing blood in vain;
Ah soften, melt this rock, and may
Thy blood wash all these stains away!

O that I, as a little child,
May follow Thee, and never rest
Till sweetly Thou hast breathed Thy mild
And lowly mind into my breast!
Nor ever may we parted be
Till I become as one with Thee.

Still let Thy love point out my way;
How wondrous things Thy love hath wrought!
Still lead me, lest I go astray;
Direct my word, inspire my thought;
And if I fall, soon may I hear
Thy voice, and know that love is near.

In suffering be Thy love my peace,
In weakness be Thy love my power;
And when the storms of life shall cease,
Jesus, in that important hour,
In death as life be Thou my guide,
And save me, Who for me hast died.

_________________
Ron Bailey

A great favourite in times past for English funerals! but much more relevant for the day to day... perhaps someone today needs to hear the words [i]"Plenteous grace with thee is found, Grace to cover all my sin,"[/i]

1 JESU, Lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high:
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life be past!
Safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last!

2 Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me:
All my trust on thee is stayed,
All my help from thee I bring;
Cover my defenceless head
With the shadow of thy wing.

3 Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
More than all in thee I find!
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind;
Just and holy is thy name,
I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am,
Thou art full of truth and grace.

4 Plenteous grace with thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin,
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure within:
Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of thee,
Spring thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity.

_________________
Ron Bailey