1GOD, 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
2Thou 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.
3Astonished 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
4High 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.
5Fountain 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.
6Primeval 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
7Hell'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!
8O 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
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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.