1HEAVENLY Father, sovereign Lord, Ever faithful to thy word, Humbly we our seal set to, Testify that thou art true. Lo! for us the wilds are glad, All in cheerful green arrayed, Opening sweets they all disclose, Bud and blossom as the rose.
2Hark! the wastes have found a voice, Lonely deserts now rejoice, Gladsome hallelujahs sing, All around with praises ring. Lo! abundantly they bloom, Lebanon is hither come, Carmel's stores the heavens dispense, Sharon's fertile excellence.
3See, these barren souls of ours Bloom, and put forth fruits and flowers, Flowers of Eden, fruits of grace, Peace, and joy, and righteousness. We behold (the abjects we!) Christ, the incarnate Deity, Christ, in whom thy glories shine, Excellence of strength divine.
4Ye that tremble at his frown, He shall lift your hands cast down; Christ, who all your weakness sees, He shall prop your feeble knees. Ye of fearful hearts, be strong; Jesus will not tarry long; Fear not lest his truth should fail, Jesus is unchangeable.
5God, your God, shall surely come, Quell your foes, and seal their doom, He shall come and save you too; We, O Lord, have found thee true! Blind we were, but now we see, Deal; we hearken now to thee, Dumb, for thee our tongues employ, Lame, and, lo! we leap for joy.
6Faint we were, and parched with drought, Water at thy word gushed out, Streams of grace our thirst repress, Starting from the wilderness; Still we gasp thy grace to know, Here for ever let it flow, Make the thirsty land a pool; Fix the Spirit in our soul.
Be the first to react on this!
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.