1COME on, my partners in distress, My comrades through the wilderness, Who still your bodies feel; Awhile forget your griefs and fears, And look beyond this vale of tears, To that celestial hill.
2Beyond the bounds of time and space, Look forward to that heavenly place, The saints' secure abode: On faith's strong eagle-pinions rise, And force your passage to the skies, And scale the mount of God.
3Who suffer with our Master here, We shall before his face appear, And by his side sit down; To patient faith the prize is sure, And all that to the end endure The cross, shall wear the crown.
4Thrice blessed, bliss-inspiring hope! It lifts the fainting spirits up, It brings to life the dead; Our conflicts here shall soon be past, And you and I ascend at last, Triumphant with our Head.
5That great mysterious Deity We soon with open face shall see; The beatific sight Shall fill heaven's sounding courts with praise, And wide diffuse the golden blaze Of everlasting light.
6The Father shining on his throne, The glorious co-eternal Son, The Spirit, one and seven, Conspire our rapture to complete; And lo! we fall before his feet, And silence heightens heaven.
7In hope of that ecstatic pause, Jesus, we now sustain the cross, And at thy footstool fall; Till thou our hidden life reveal, Till thou our ravished spirits fill, And God is all in all!
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Charles Wesley (1707 - 1788)
Was an English hymn writer, poet, and preacher who wrote over 5,500 hymns including And Can It Be That I Should Gain?, O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing, and Hark! the Herald Angels Sing. A leader of the Methodist movement with his brother John Wesley.Wesley's conversion had a clear impact on his doctrine, especially the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The change in doctrine can be seen in his sermons after 1738, but is most notable in his hymns written after 1738. From Charles published work “Hymns and Prayers to the Trinity” and in Hymn number 62 he writes “The Holy Ghost in part we know, For with us He resides, Our whole of good to Him we owe, Whom by His grace he guides, He doth our virtuous thoughts inspire, The evil he averts, And every seed of good desire, He planted in our hearts.”
Charles Wesley is best known for his prolific hymn writing, his poetry and for being one of the founding fathers of the Methodist denomination of Christianity. He wrote more than six thousand hymns, of which a handful remain in modern day worship.
John and Charles Wesley's Methodist style was to take the word of God to people, wherever they were, rather than try to get them into a church to hear it. The numbers of converts grew and were gathered into 'societies' to nurture their faith.
With their helpers they began their travelling ministry, covering thousands of miles on horseback over the years throughout England and in Scotland, Wales and Ireland, with London, Bristol, and Newcastle being the main centres of their work.
The high-intensity preaching took its toll on Charles; he suffered from nervous exhaustion and severe depression. He was 80 when he died on 29th March 1788. With his famous carol Hark the Herald Angels Sing heard everywhere from cathedrals to supermarkets, the legacy of Charles Wesley is likely to continue for years to come.
Charles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley (the Younger), and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley.
Despite their closeness, Charles and his brother John did not always agree on questions relating to their beliefs. In particular, Charles was strongly opposed to the idea of a breach with the Church of England into which they had been ordained. Charles Wesley is chiefly remembered for the many hymns he wrote. He founded Wesley Chapel in the village of Brayton, which is just south of Selby. His house, located nearby, can still be visited today.