1JOIN all the glorious names Of wisdom, love, and power, That ever mortals knew, That angels ever bore; All are too mean to speak his worth, Too mean to set our Saviour forth.
2But O what gentle means, What condescending ways, Doth our Redeemer use, To teach his heavenly grace; My soul, with joy and wonder see What forms of love he bears for thee!
3Arrayed in mortal flesh The Covenant-Angel stands, And holds the promises And pardons in his hands; Commissioned from his Father's throne To make his grace to mortals known.
4Great Prophet of my God, My lips shall bless thy name: By thee the joyful news Of our salvation came; The joyful news of sins forgiven, Of hell subdued, and peace with heaven.
5Be thou my Counsellor, My pattern, and my guide; And through this desert land Still keep me near thy side: O let my feet ne'er run astray, Nor rove, nor seek the crooked way!
6I love my Shepherd's voice; His watchful eye shall keep My wandering soul among The thousands of his sheep: He feeds his flock, he calls their names, His bosom bears the tender lambs.
7Jesus, my great High-priest, Offered his blood and died; My guilty Conscience seeks No sacrifice beside; His powerful blood did once atone, And now it pleads before the throne.
8O thou almighty Lord, My conqueror and my King, Thy sceptre and thy sword, Thy reign of grace, I sing; Thine is the power: behold, I sit In willing bonds before thy feet.
9Now let my soul arise, And tread the tempter down: My Captain leads me forth To conquest and a crown: March on, nor fear to win the day, Though death and hell obstruct the way.
10 Should all the hosts of death, And powers of hell unknown, Put their most dreadful forms Of rage and malice on, I shall be safe; for Christ displays Superior power, and guardian grace.
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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.