1JESU, thy boundless love to me No thought can reach, no tongue declare; O knit my thankful heart to thee, And reign without a rival there! Thine wholly, thine alone, I am, Be thou alone my constant flame.
2O grant that nothing in my soul May dwell, but thy pure love alone; O may thy love possess me whole, My joy, my treasure, and my crown! Strange flames far from my heart remove; My every act, word, thought, be love.
3O Love, how cheering is thy ray! All pain before thy presence flies, Care, anguish, sorrow, melt away, Where'er thy healing beams arise; O Jesu, nothing may I see, Nothing desire, or seek, but thee!
4Unwearied may I this pursue, Dauntless to the high prize aspire; Hourly within my soul renew This holy flame, this heavenly fire; And day and night be all my care To guard the sacred treasure there.
5My 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.
6More 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!
7O 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.
8Still let thy love point out my war; 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.
9In 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, ln death as life be thou my guide, And save me, who for me hast died.
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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.