1SAVIOUR, I now with shame confess My thirst for creature happiness; By base desires I wronged thy love, And forced thy mercy to remove.
2Yet would I not regard thy stroke; But when thou didst thy grace revoke, And when thou didst thy face conceal, Thy absence I refused to feel.
3I knew not that the Lord was gone, In my own froward will went on, And lived to the desires of men; And thou hast all my wanderings seen.
4Yet, O the riches of thy grace! Thou, who hast seen my evil ways, Wilt freely my backslidings heal, And pardon on my conscience seal.
5For this I at thy footstool wait, Till thou my peace again create; Fruit of thy gracious lips, restore My peace, and bid me sin no more!
6Far off, yet at thy feet, I lie, Till thou again thy blood apply; Till thou repeat my sins forgiven, As far from God as hell from heaven.
7But, for thy truth and mercy's sake, My comfort thou wilt give me back, And lead me on from grace to grace, In all the paths of righteousness;
8Till, throughly saved, my new-born soul, And perfectly by faith made whole, Doth bright in thy full image rise, To share thy glory in the skies.
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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.