Charles Wesley on Psalm XII

Psalm XII. Charles Wesley.

1. Help, O, Lord! the faithful fail,
Scarce a man continues just.
Shall the gates of hell prevail?
Shall the church on earth be lost?

2. Every soul from thee departs,
Bold to cast thy words behind;
Men of double tongues and hearts,
False as hell are all mankind!

3. God shall judge the faithless race,
Bruise them with an iron road,
All who walk in pride abase,
Makes the rebels own their God.

4. “Surely now,” the Lord hath said,
“I will in my might arise,
Bring my needy servants aid,
Answer all their plaintive sighs.

5. “I myself will save th’opprest;
Placed beyond the tyrant’s power,
Satan shall no more molest,
Sin shall never reach him more.”

6. True and faithful is the Lord,
All that he hath spoke shall be;
Pure his every written word,
From the dross of falsehood free.

7. In the earthly furnace tried,
In the soul of fallen man,
Lo! as silver purified
All his promises remain.

8. Thou, O Lord, shalt all fulfill;
Earth and hell a while may rage;
Thou art our Preserver still,
Christ is ours from age to age.

This Wesley metrical setting of Psalm 12 (7s. meter) was published posthumously in 1854, then later added to The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley: Reprinted from the Originals...Together with the Poems of Charles Wesley not Before Published, Volume VIII, (G. Osborn, editor. London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1870, pp. 22-23). This publication contains the following explanation:

“First published in 1854, by the Rev. H. Fish, from a MS. in his possession, and inserted with his kind consent.”

We know Wesley wrote this in his lifetime (1707-1788), but do not know what year he wrote it. Wesley makes application of the text in verses 6-7 to the written word, but seems to take the second “preserve them” to be in reference to both God’s promises and his people.