1LORD, and is thine anger gone And art thou pacified After all that I have done, Dost thou no longer chide Infinite thy mercies are, Beneath the weight I cannot move; O! 'tis more than I can bear, The sense of pardoning love.
2Let it still my heart constrain, And all my passions sway; Keep me, lest I turn again Out of the narrow way; Force my violence to be still, And captivate my every thought; Charm, and melt, and change my will, And bring me down to nought.
3If I have begun once more Thy sweet return to feel, If even now I find thy power Present my soul to heal, Still and quiet may I lie. Nor struggle out of thine embrace; Never more resist, or fly From thy pursuing grace.
4To the cross, thine altar, bind Me with the cords of love; Freedom let me never find From thee, my Lord, to move; That I never, never more May with my much-loved Master part, To the posts of mercy's door O nail my willing heart!
5See my utter helplessness, And leave me not alone; O preserve in perfect peace, And seal me for thine own; More and more thyself reveal, Thy presence let me always find; Comfort, and confirm, and heal My feeble, sin-sick mind.
6As the apple of an eye Thy weakest servant keep; Help me at thy feet to lie, And there for ever weep; Tears of joy mine eyes o'erflow, That I have any hope of heaven; Much of love I ought to know, For I have much forgiven.
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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.