Wesley Wednesday: 25 February 2026

It has been some time, but I thought I would try to revive the Wesley Wednesday posts with one verse
from a Charles Wesley hymn, "Jesus, the Sinner's Friend," which I sang last night during Evening Prayer:

What Shall I say Thy grace to move?

Lord, I am sin, but Thou art love:

I give up every plea beside -

Lord, I am lost, but Thou hast died.

Christ the King Sunday

This Sunday, we will be celebrating Christ the King Sunday (or "The Reign of Christ the King")! - It is the last Sunday after Pentecost and the last Sunday of the Christian year. It is also the Sunday just prior to our entering into the holy season of Advent.
 

The observance of Christ the King Sunday is really a relatively new celebration. It was originally instituted by Pius XI, Bishop of Rome, for celebration on the last Sunday of October. However, after Vatican II, it was moved to its current location on the Christian calendar. 

 

Incidentally, no less than +N.T. Wright, has argued that Ascension Sunday is the proper celebration of Christ the King, rather than the creation of this relatively new celebration.  -  Nevertheless, I think that this setting, in addition to Ascension Sunday, has much to offer the Church.  An example of which can be seen in the lectionary readings; especially the Gospel reading, which is taken from John 18:33-37.  -  Jesus' contrast between the citizens of His Kingdom and those of the kingdoms of this world is especially timely given our age of varies wars and conflicts (not to mention the premiere of the new Bonhoeffer movie).

In honor of Christ the King Sunday, find, below, a copy of Charles Wesley's great hymn, “Rejoice, the Lord Is King.”  -  The hymn will be printed as it appears in the Sing to the Lord (Nazarene) hymnal and most other hymnals.  At Main Street UMC, we will be singing the version that appears in The United Methodist Hymnal, which includes some rather strange editorial changes in verses 1, 3, and 4; changes that seem not to make sense.  The predecessor hymnal, The Methodist Hymnal, retains the hymn as appears elsewhere.  -  Interestingly, the brand new O For a Heart to Praise My God: Hymns of Charles Wesley and Scriptural Liturgies follows the UMC hymnal when it comes to the changes in verses 3 and 4.

It is also interesting (and puzzling) that this hymn does not seem to appear in volume 7 of The Works of John Wesley: A Collection of Hymns for the Use of The People Called Methodists.  If it had, perhaps light may have been shed as to why the UMC hymnal changed the text.

Nevertheless, here follows the hymn!

 

Rejoice, the Lord Is King

 

1. Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore!

Rejoice, give thanks, and sing, And triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart;
Lift up your voice! Rejoice; again I say: rejoice!
 

2. Jesus, the Savior, reigns, The God of truth and love.

When he had purged our stains, He took His seat above.
Lift up your heart;
Lift up your voice! Rejoice; again I say: rejoice!
 

3. His kingdom cannot fail; He rules o'er earth and heav'n.

The keys of death and hell Are to our Jesus giv'n.
Lift up your heart;
Lift up your voice! Rejoice; again I say: rejoice!
 

4. Rejoice in glorious hope! Our Lord, the Judge, shall come

And take His servants up To their eternal home.
Lift up your heart;
Lift up your voice! Rejoice; again I say: rejoice!
 

This Sunday (and every day!) may we all rejoice and worship Christ our King, not only with our lips but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to His service, and by walking before Him in holiness and righteousness all our days (cf., "A General Thanksgiving," BCP). - May all glory be to God the Father, Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit! Amen!

_____________________________________

This post relied on previous posts on this same topic.

All Saints' Day

Today, November 1, is All Saints' Day!  Many Protestant churches transfer All Saints' Day to the following Sunday and observe All Saints' on Sunday.  We will be doing that in our congregation, as well.  However, I wanted to make sure that I published a post, today.  

As The United Methodist Book of Worship reminds us, "All Saints (November 1 or the first Sunday in November) is a day of remembrance for the saints, with the New Testament meaning of all Christian people of every time and place.  We celebrate the communion of saints as we remember the dead, both of the Church universal and of our local congregations.  For this reason, the names of persons in the congregation who have died during the past year may be solemnly read as a Response to the Word."

Since, All Saints' is not only a recognition of death, but also a celebration of life through the Resurrection, all of the paraments, banners & stoles are white, which is the joyful and festive color used at Christmas and Easter.

All Saints' was a favorite of John Wesley's.  He mentioned it four times in his journal.  On All Saints' in 1748, Wesley said, "Being All-Saints' day, we had a solemn assembly at the chapel; as I cannot but observe, we have had on this very day, for several years.  Surely, 'right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints!'"  In 1756 Wesley says, "November 1, was a day of triumphant joy, as All-Saints' Day generally is.  How superstitious are they who scruple giving God solemn thanks for the lives and deaths of his saints!"  In 1767, he included in his journal the following comments: "Being All-Saints' Day, (a festival I dearly love,) I could not but observe the admirable propriety with which the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for the day are suited to each other." 

The Collect for the day from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (which would be the Prayer Book Wesley used) reads as follows (and I would encourage all to pray):

O Almighty God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord; Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys, which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

 

The Epistle was Revelation 7:2-12.  The Gospel was Matthew 5:1-12.  -  I would encourage you to read these Scripture lessons.

 

The year prior to this entry, Wesley wrote, "'God, who hath knit together his elect in one communion and fellowship,' gave us a solemn season at West-Street (as usual) in praising him for all his Saints.  On this day in particular, I commonly find the truth of these words:

 

The Church triumphant in his love,

Their mighty joys we know;

They praise the Lamb in hymns above,

And we in hymns below."

 

 

That is the second verse of Charles Wesley's "Happy the Souls to Jesus Joined."  Unfortunately, that hymn is not found in either The United Methodist Hymnal, nor the Nazarene's Sing to the Lord hymnal.  Three verses of it did appear in the older The Methodist Hymnal.  (I still need to check the two most recent hymnals that include Wesley hymns!)  The four verses, below, were taken from the Wesley Hymns book, compiled by Ken Bible and published by Lillenas Publishing Company (Nazarene):

 

 

1.) Happy the souls to Jesus joined

And saved by grace alone.

Walking in all Thy ways they find

Their heaven on earth begun.

 

2.) The Church triumphant in Thy love,

Their mighty joys we know;

They sing the Lamb in hymns above,

And we in hymns below.

 

3.) Thee in Thy glorious realm they praise,

And bow before Thy throne;

We in the kingdom of Thy grace;

The kingdoms are but one.

 

4.) The holy to the holiest leads;

From thence our spirits rise.

He that in all Thy statutes treads

Shall meet Thee in the skies.

 

 

Since the hymn is in common meter, it can be sung to a number of familiar tunes, not the least of which is Wesley's "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" (Azmon).  We will be singing it this Sunday to Land of Rest (which is the tune that the Nazarene hymnal uses for Wesley's "All Praise to Our Redeeming Lord").

 

It is unfortunate that more of our churches do not have an All Saints' Day service on November 1, no matter the day on which it falls.  However, with the transference that most Protestant churches do, to the following Sunday, All Saints' becomes a major focus during the primary service of worship. 

 

May God be praised for all of His saints who have finished their course and have become for us such a great cloud of witnesses!

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

The Journal entries were taken from the Jackson edition of Wesley's Works.

Wesley Wednesday: Charles Wesley on Baptismal Regeneration

 Yesterday, for Morning Prayer, I sang the last of the hymns in Ken Bible's Wesley Hymns.  The very last hymn is a short, two verse hymn that presents a prayer for the sacrament of Holy Baptism.  In it, Charles Wesley presents a very different understanding of Baptism than is so often presented in modern Evangelical circles.  In such circles (often times, including many within my own denomination), Baptism is seen as simply a testimony given by the one being baptized about their decision to accept Jesus.  Perhaps it is also a testimony of what such faith in Jesus has previously done for them.  However, Charles Wesley understands Baptism as a true sacrament.  He understands it as a means of God's grace, and he makes that clear in this prayerful hymn.

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

1. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
In solemn pow'r come down!

Present with Thy heav'nly host,

Thine ordinance to crown,

See a sinful soul of earth!

Bless to him the cleansing flood!

Plunge him, by a second birth,

Into the depths of God.

2. Let the promised inward grace

Accompany the sing;

On this new-born soul impress

The character divine!

Father, all Thy name reveal;

Jesus, all Thy name impart;

Holy Ghost, renew and dwell

Forever in his heart!

Eucharistic Hymns of the Wesley's, and Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ: Part 5

This article is the last article to focus on the actual verses in John and Charles Wesley's Hymns on the Lord's Supper that specifically reference our receiving the body and blood of Christ.  In this article, I will reproduce hymn 112 and a verse each from 153 and 158.

In Part 6 of this series, I will take a look at particular references where John Wesley specifically discusses the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament.  I will likely also take note of some of the comments of some of Wesley's interpreters.  Finally, I will attempt to draw some conclusions on this matter.  

At this point, I draw your attention, once again to the hymns, themselves.

112:1. Eternal Spirit, gone up on high
Blessing for mortals to receive,
Send down those blessings from the sky,
To us Thy gifts and graces give;
With holy things our mouths are fill'd,
O let our hearts with joy o'erflow;
Descend in pardoning love reveal'd,
And meet us in Thy courts below.

2. Thy sacrifice without the gate
Once offer'd up we call to mind,
And humbly at Thy altar wait
Our interest in Thy death to find;
We thirst to drink Thy precious blood,
We languish in Thy wounds to rest, 
And hunger for immortal food,
And long on all Thy love to feast.

3. O that we now Thy flesh may eat,
Its virtues really receive;
Empower'd by this immortal meat
Thy life of holiness to live:
Partakers of Thy sacrifice,
O may we all Thy nature share,
Till to the holiest place we rise
And keep the feast for ever there.

153:1 Father, Thy feeble children meet,
And make Thy faithful mercies known;
Give us through faith the flesh to eat,
And drink the blood of Christ Thy Son;
Honour Thine own mysterious ways,
Thy sacramental presence show,
And all the fulness of Thy grace,
With Jesus, on our souls bestow.

158:1 All praise to God above,
In whom we have believed,
The tokens of whose dying love
We have even now received
Have with His flesh been fed,
And drank His precious blood:
His precious blood is drink indeed,
HIs flesh immortal food.

Eucharistic Hymns of the Wesley's, and Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ: Part 3

This is the third blog post in a series that notes verses in John and Charles Wesley's Hymns on the Lord's Supper that speak specifically about our receiving the body and blood of Christ.  

In this post, I will reproduce hymn 57 in its entirety.  This is one of my very favorite of the Eucharistic hymns.  In addition, I will reproduce two verses from hymn 58, and one verse, each, from hymns 61 & 65.

57:1.  O the depth of love Divine,
Th' unfathomable grace!
Who shall say how bread and wine
God into man conveys!
How the bread His flesh impart,
How the wine transmits His blood,
Fills His faithful people's hearts 
With all the life of God!

2.  Let the wisest mortal show
How we the grace receive,
Feeble elements bestow
A power not theirs to give.
Who explains the wondrous way,
How through these the virtue came?
These the virtue did convey,
Yet still remain the same.

3.  How can heavenly spirits rise,
By earthly matter fed,
Drink herewith Divine supplies,
And eat immortal bread?
Ask the Father's Wisdom how;
Him that did the means ordain!
Angels round our altars bow
To search it out in vain.

4.  Sure and real is the grace,
The manner be unknown;
Only meet us in Thy ways,
And perfect us in one.
Let us taste the heavenly powers;
Lord, we ask for nothing more:
Thine to bless, 'tis only ours 
To wonder and adore.

58:6.  Break to me now the hallow'd bread,
And bid me on Thy body feed;
Give me the wine, Almighty God,
And let me drink Thy precious blood

7.  Surely if Thou the symbols bless,
The covenant blood shall seal my peace;
Thy flesh even now shall be my food,
And all my soul be fill'd with God.

61:6.  Thou in this sacramental bread
Dost now our hungry spirits feed,
And cheer us with the hallow'd wine;
(Communion of Thy flesh and blood,)
We banquet on immortal food,
And drink the streams of life Divine.

65:3.  Now, on the sacred table laid,
Thy flesh becomes our food,
Thy life is to our souls convey'd
In sacramental blood.

Eucharistic Hymns of the Wesley's, and Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ: Part 2

This is the second blog post in a series that notes verses in The Eucharistic Hymns of John & Charles Wesley (also known as Hymns on the Lord's Supper) that speak specifically about our receiving the body and blood of Christ.  

In part one, I presented hymns 71 and 73 in their entirety.  In this post, I will go back and highlight verses from various hymns, prior to hymn 71.

4:2.  The eucharistic feast
Our every want supplies,
And still we by His death are blest
And share His sacrifice:
By faith His flesh we eat,
Who here HIs passion show,
And God out of His holy seat
Shall all His gifts bestow.

30:5.  The cup of blessing, blest by Thee,
Let it Thy blood impart;
The bread Thy mystic body be,
And cheer each languid heart.

8.  Now, Lord, on us Thy flesh bestow,
And let us drink Thy blood,
Till all our souls are fill'd below
With all the life of God.

33:2.  In the rite Thou hast enjoin'd
Let us now our Saviour find,
Drink Thy blood for sinners shed
Taste Thee in the broken bread.

35:1.  O Thou Paschal Lamb of God
Feed us with Thy flesh and blood;
Life and strength Thy death supplies,
Feast us on Thy sacrifice.

42:4.  This is the richest legacy 
Thou hast on man bestow'd:
Here chiefly, Lord, we feed on Thee,
And drink Thy precious blood.

54:5.  Communion closer far I feel
And deeper drink the' atoning blood;
The joy is more unspeakable,
And yields me larger draughts of God,
Till nature faints beneath the power,
And faith fill'd up can hold no more.

The Eucharistic Hymns of the Wesley's, and Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ: Part 1

 Currently, during Morning and Evening Prayer, I am, once again, singing through The Eucharistic Hymns of John & Charles Wesley (also known as Hymns on the Lord's Supper).  This time, as a personal project (prompted by two different sources), I have been noting verses which speak specifically about our receiving the body and blood of Christ.  

To be clear, there are plenty of places in the hymns that speak of the sacrament as a means of grace, and there are plenty that speak about Christ's real presence.  There are also hymns that speak about the sacrament pointing us to the body and blood of Christ.  However, I am watching for those that talk about our eating Christ's body and drinking His blood.  

After I finish singing through these hymns, I will go back and look at other statements that John Wesley makes concerning what manner the bread and cup convey to us the body and blood of Christ.

I have been singing through these hymns for nearly a month, now.  In fact, I am up to hymn number 76, but it finally dawned on me; I should be making notes about these verses on my blog!  So, here I am!

Now, most of the time, I will just be presenting particular verses from the various hymns.  However, there will be times when the entire hymn is closely connected to this specific focus.  The latter is the case with two of the hymns from today's Morning and Evening Prayer.  -  So, I will begin this ongoing series by reproducing hymns 71 and 73, below.  -  I will go back to cover verses from previous hymns, as the series continues.

My hope is that this will be thought provoking and helpful in deepening the sacramental awareness of those within the Wesleyan tradition.  I also hope that it might give some insight for those looking in from outside of Wesleyanism.

71:1.  Draw near, ye blood-besprinkled race.

And take what God vouchsafes to give;

The outward sign of inward grace,

Ordain'd by Christ Himself, receive:

The sign transmits the signified,

The grace is by the means applied.

2.  Sure pledges of His dying love,

Receive the sacramental meat,

And feel the virtue from above,

The mystic flesh of Jesus eat,

Drink with the wine His healing blood,

And feast on th' Incarnate God.

3.  Gross misconceit be far away!

Through faith we on His body feed

Faith only cloth the Spirit convey,

And fills our souls with living bread,

Th' effects of Jesu's death imparts,

And pours His blood into our hearts.

73:1.  Is not the cup of blessing, blest

By us, the sacred means t' impart

Our Saviour's blood, with power imprest

And pardon to the faithful heart?

2.  Is not the hallow'd broken bread

A sure communicating sign,

An instrument ordain'd to feed

Our souls with mystic flesh Divine?

3.  Th' effects of His atoning blood,

His body offer'd on the tree,
Are with the awful types bestow'd

On me, the pardon'd rebel, me;

4.  On all who at HIs word draw near,

In faith the outward veil look through:

Sinners, believe, and find Him here;

Believe, and feel He died for you.

5.  In memory of your dying God,
The symbols faithfully receive,

And eat the flesh and drink the blood

Of Jesus, and for ever live.

A Baptismal Hymn

 Unlike most Baptists and many others in the larger Evangelical world, the Church of the Nazarene, in her Articles of faith and elsewhere, clearly identifies Baptism and the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion / the Eucharist) as sacraments and as means of grace.  That is to say, they are not mere ordinances.  Nor are they merely my testimony, my work.  Rather, they are God's testimony, God's work.  That is to say, God is present and at work in and through them, pouring out God's very grace to us.  -  This understanding is consistent with our Wesleyan theological tradition.

During my praying of this morning's Daily Office, I finished up (once again) the hymns in Wesley Hymns, edited by Ken Bible.  The hymnal concludes with a marvelous little hymn that would be just wonderful if sung as the Church is preparing to baptize.  It is, in fact, a prayer for God to be at work in the sacrament, and as such, it would be especially helpful for those Nazarene congregations that have been overly influenced by the Baptists and "generic" Evangelical belief system when it comes to Baptism.  -  The hymn is titled, "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," and the words are as follows:

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

1. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
In solemn pow'r come down!
Present with Thy heav'nly host,
Thine ordinance to crown,
See a sinful soul of earth!
Bless to him the cleansing flood!
Plunge him, by a second birth, 
Into the depths of God.

2. Let the promised inward grace
Accompany the sign;
On this newborn soul impress
The character divine!
Father, all Thy name reveal;
Jesus, all Thy name impart;
Holy ghost, renew and dwell
Forever in his heart!

(By the way, if one is only baptizing female candidates, I would suggest that it would be completely appropriate to change the pronouns used for the baptismal candidates.)

God: The Sole End and Source Of Our Being

Currently, during the Daily Office, I am singing my way through Wesley Hymns, a great little hymnal put together by Ken Bible.  -  In fact, over the years, I have made this little hymnal a Christmas gift to musicians in the churches where I have served.  -  During today's Morning prayer, I sang a wonderful little song by Charles Wesley entitled "O My All-sufficient God," and read a brief excerpt from John Wesley's A Plain Account of Christian Perfection.  The two go hand in hand (which is probably why Ken Bible put them together in the hymnal!).

I am reproducing them, here, praying that they will be a blessing to you:

O My All-sufficient God

O my all-sufficient God,
Thou know'st my heart's desire;
Be this only thing bestowed;
I nothing else require,
Nothing else in earth or skies,
Not through all eternity;
Heav'n itself could not suffice:
I seek not Thine, but Thee.
-  (Charles Wesley)

     One design you are to pursue to the end of time, the enjoyment of God in time and in eternity.  

     Desire other things so far as they tend to this; love the creature, as it leads to the Creator.  But in 

     every step you take, be this the glorious point that terminates your view.  Let every affection, and 

     thought, and word, and action, be subordinate to this.  Whatever you desire or fear, whatever you 

     seek or shun, whatever you think, or speak, or do, be it in order to your happiness in God, the sole 

     end, as well as source, of your being.  -  From John Wesley's A Plain Account of Christian 

     Perfection.

Experiential Joy of Knowing Christ

 Here is one of the Wesley hymns that I sang during Morning Payer.  It expresses the experiential joy of knowing Christ by grace through faith.

O How Happy Are They

O how happy are they

Who the Saviour obey,

And have laid up their treasure above!

Tongue can never express

The sweet comfort and peace

Of a soul in its earliest love.

That sweet comfort was mine,

When the favor divine

I first found in the blood of the Lamb;

When my heart first believed,

What a joy I received, 

What a heaven in Jesus' Name!

'Twas a heaven below

My Redeemer to know,

And the angels could do nothing more,

Than to fall at His feet,

And the story repeat,

And the Love of sinners adore.

Jesus all the day long

Was my joy and my song:

O that all His salvation might see!

"He hath loved me," I cried,

"He hath suffered and died,

To redeem a poor rebel like me."

O the rapturous height
Of that holy delight

Which I felt in the life-giving blood!

By my Saviour possessed,

I was perfectly blest,

As if filled with the fullness of God.

Love, the Essence of Holiness

Today, as a part of my praying Morning Prayer, I sang two wonderful hymns that I would like to share with you, the readers of this blog.

The first is by Paul Gerhardt and is translated by John Wesley.  (It is on page 499 in the Sing to the Lord hymnal):

Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me

1. Jesus, Thy boundless love to me

No tho't 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.

2. O 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 ev'ry act, word, thought, be love.

3. O Love, how cheering is Thy ray!

All pain before Thy presence flies;

Care, anguish, sorrow melt away

Where'er Thy healing beams arise.

O Jesus, nothing may I see,

Nothing desire or seek but Thee!

4. In suff'ring be Thy love my peace;

In weakness be Thy love my pow'r;

And when the storms of life shall cease,

Jesus, in that important hour,

In death as life be Thou my guide,

And save me, who for me hast died!

The second hymn is a Charles Wesley hymn.  (It can be found on page 500 of the same hymnal):

Jesus, Thine All-victorious Love

1.  Jesus, Thine all-victorious love

Shed in my heart abroad;

Then shall my feet no longer rove,

Rooted and fixed in God.

2.  O that in me the sacred fire
Might now begin to glow,
Burn up the dross of base desire,

And make the mountains flow!

3. O that it now from heav'n might fall,

And all my sins consume!

Come, Holy Ghost, for Thee I call;

Spirit of Burning come!

4.  Refining Fire, go thro' my heart;

Illuminate my soul.
Scatter Thy life thro' ev'ry part,

And sanctify the whole.

5.  My steadfast soul, from falling free,

Shall then no longer move,

When Christ is all the world to me,

And all my heart is love.

Singing of Scripture

This morning, as I was praying Morning Prayer, I sang Come, Holy Ghost, Our Hearts Inspire.  This hymn presents the way that Wesleyan Christians approach Scripture.

As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of a section of hymns that take up this theme in The Works of John Wesley, vol. 7, "Collection of Hymns for the Use of The People Called Methodists" (Bicentennial Ed.) The section is titled "Before reading the Scriptures." There are three hymns, in particular, on pages 186-85 that I would like to share.

As you read (or sing!) these hymns, notice how different the Wesleyan approach to Scripture is from fundamentalism, on the one hand, and ultra-liberalism, on the other. Notice the affirmation of the inspiration of the writings of Holy Scripture, but also the necessity for the Holy Spirit to inspire them afresh and anew to us. Notice also the goal of going to the Scriptures, viz., to know God.

85

1. Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire,

Let us thine influence prove,

Source of the old prophetic fire,

Fountain of life and love.

2. Come, Holy Ghost (for moved by thee

The prophets wrote and spoke);

Unlock the truth, thyself the key,

Unseal the sacred book.

3. Expand thy wings, celestial dove,

Brood o'er our nature's night;

On our disordered spirits move,

And let there now be light.

4. God through himself we then shall know,

If thou within us shine;

And sound, with all thy saints below,

The depths of love divine.

AND

86

2. While in thy Word we search for thee

(We search with trembling awe!)

Open our eyes, and let us see

The wonders of thy law.

3. Now let our darkness comprehend

The light that shines so clear;

Now the revealing Spirit send,

And give us ears to hear.

AND AGAIN

87

1. Inspirer of the ancient seers,

Who wrote from thee the sacred page,

The same through all succeeding years;

To us in our degenerate age

The spirit of thy Word impart,

And breathe the life into our heart.

2. While now thine oracles we read

With earnest prayer and strong desire,

O let thy Spirit from thee proceed

Our souls to waken and inspire,

Our weakness help, our darkness chase,

And guide us by the light of grace.

More Holiness Hymns

I am still in the "Holiness" section of the hymnal (cf. previous post), and I thought I would share all three of the hymns for the day.  The first two are classic Charles Wesley hymns, and the third is by the American Methodist hymn writer, Lelia N. Morris, 1908. 

You will notice a marked distinction between the older, Wesley hymns and the one from the American Holiness Movement.  The former look toward or anticipate (in this life!) the experience of that "second rest" of "perfect love."  The latter is a celebratory testimony of God's "saving, sanctifying pow'r" and an invitation for others to "Boldly cross the Jordan's tide."  -  Both are very much a part of our heritage and identity in the Church of the Nazarene.

I hope you enjoy the hymns, and I hope that they prove to be a blessing to you!

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
1. Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav'n, to earth come down!
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling;
All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion;
Pure, unbounded love Thou art.
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter ev'ry trembling heart.



 

2. Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
Into ev'ry troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be.
End of faith, as its Beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

3. Come, Almighty to Deliver;
Let us all Thy life receive.
Suddenly return, and never,
Nevermore Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

4. Finish then Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation,
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heav'n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.



Jesus, My Strength, My Hope

 

1. Jesus, my strength, my hope,
On Thee I cast my care,
With humble confidence look up,
And know Thou hear'st my prayer.
Give me on Thee to wait
Till I can all things do;
On Thee, almighty to create,
Almighty to renew.

2. I want a godly fear,
A quick-discerning eye
That looks to Thee when sin is near
And sees the tempter fly;
A spirit still prepared
And armed with jealous care,
Forever standing on its guard
And watching unto prayer.

3. I want a true regard,
A single, steady aim,
Unmoved by threat'ning or reward,
To Thee and Thy great name;
A jealous, just concern
For Thine immortal praise;
A pure desire that all may learn
And glorify Thy grace.

4. I rest upon Thy Word;
the promise is for me:
My comfort and salvation, Lord,
Shall surely come from Thee.
But let me still abide,
Nor from my hope remove,
Till Thou my patient spirit guide
Into Thy perfect love.



Sanctifying Power
1. There is sanctifying pow'r,
Like a sweet, refreshing show'r,
Waiting for each consecrated heart:
Pow'r to cleanse us from all sin,
Pow'r to keep us pure within,
Pow'r for service which He will impart.

(Refrain) I'm so glad, I'm so glad
For this saving, sanctifying pow'r!
Waves of glory o'er me roll;
Peace abides within my soul.
I'm so glad for this sanctifying pow'r!

2. I'm so glad it reaches me,
All unworthy tho' I be,
Overcoming grace made freely mine.
Since the Comforter abides,
And within my heart resides,
I am walking in the light of divine.

3. This God's will for you and me,
That we sanctified should be,
Dwelling in this land of plenteousness.
Fling your doubts and fears aside;
Boldly cross the Jordan's tide,
And your heritage in Christ possess.

4. Songs of praises let us sing
To our blessed Lord and King
For this great salvation rich and free:
Ev'ry needed grace supplied,
Ev'ry longing satisfied,
Saved for time and for eternity.

A Wesleyan Understanding of the Real Presence

I just finished shooting a video for my YouTube channel on the topic of a Wesleyan understanding of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  -  I am trying to get the hang of how to do YouTube!  -  Anyway, I want to encourage you to take a look using the W/A YouTube link in the sidebar (though I am going to go ahead and embed the video, here).  -  If you do take a look via YouTube, be sure to hit the like button!

In the video, I reference one of the Wesley Eucharistic Hymns, and I have printed it out, for your convenience, below the video.  In the United Methodist Hymnal, the tune is "Stookey," and the alternate tune is "Amsterdam." The latter is the tune used for "Celebrate Immanuel's Name."

O the Depth of Love Divine

 

1. O the depth of love divine,
the unfathomable grace!
Who shall say how bread and wine
God into us conveys!
How the bread his flesh imparts,
how the wine transmits his blood,
fills his faithful people's hearts
with all the life of God!

2. Let the wisest mortals show
how we the grace receive;
feeble elements bestow
a power not theirs to give.
Who explains the wondrous way,
how through these the virtue came?
These the virtue did convey,
yet still remain the same.

3. How can spirits heavenward rise,
by earthly matter fed,
drink here with divine supplies
and eat immortal bread?
Ask the Father's wisdom how:
Christ who did the means ordain;
angels round our altars bow
to search it out, in vain.

4. Sure and real is the grace,
the manner be unknown;
only meet us in thy ways
and perfect us in one.
Let us taste the heavenly powers,
Lord, we ask for nothing more.
Thine to bless, 'tis only ours
to wonder and adore.

O Jesus, Full of Truth and Grace

I sang this powerful Charles Wesley hymn during Morning Prayer, today.  Just wanted to share.

 

1. O Jesus, full of truth and grace,

More full of grace than I of sin,

Yet once again I seek Thy face;

Open Thine arms and take me in,

And freely my backslidings heal,

And love the faithless sinner still.

 

2.  Thou know'st the way to bring me back,

My fallen spirit to restore;

O for Thy truth and mercy's sake,

Forgive, and bid me sin no more.

The ruins of my soul repair,

And make my heart a house of prayer.

 

3.  The stone to flesh again convert,

The veil of sin again remove;

Sprinkle Thy blood upon my heart

And melt it by Thy dying love.

This rebel heart by love subdue

And make it soft, and make it new.

 

4.  O give me, Lord, the tender heart

That trembles at th'approach of sin.

A godly fear of sin impart,

Implant, and root it deep within,

That I may dread Thy gracious pow'r

And never dare to offend Thee more.

The Sacramental Nature of Baptism

It caught me by surprise!  I didn't realize that I was that far along, but, during Morning Prayer, I finished singing through Wesley Hymns (edited by Ken Bible), once again. 

The last hymn in the book is wonderful.  It is a baptismal hymn, and it, of course, expresses a very Wesleyan understanding of holy baptism as a sacrament.  In fact, it does such a good job, I think I will quote it during my upcoming workshop on the Sacraments for the Southwest Indiana District Church of the Nazarene.  It fits very nicely with our new Article of Faith on Baptism.

What this hymn does is remind Wesleyan Christians (especially Evangelical ones) that we are not quite like many of our "Evangelical" sisters and brothers when it comes to our understanding of the sacraments.  Instead, we stand in line with our Methodist and Anglican forefathers, back to the Ancient and New Testament Church.

Many of our Evangelical sisters and brothers (e.g., Baptists), view holy baptism (and holy communion) as a mere ordinance.  (I say mere, because ordinances they surely are.  Even the hymn uses that term.  However, they are not merely so.)  As a mere ordinance, our sisters and brothers of these traditions view baptism as something that, while commanded by Christ, is exclusively understood to be a testimony by the one being baptized concerning what Christ has done in his/her life by faith.  (The very sad and frustrating thing is, as I have been trying to help my son find a good church home while in college at Olivet Nazarene University, I have just recently read a website statement on baptism from a NAZARENE CHURCH that echoes this very Baptist, i.e., non-Nazarene/non-Wesleyan, understanding of baptism!)

We Wesleyans would affirm that, when a convert is being baptized, s/he is, indeed, testifying to what Christ has done in her/his life by faith . . . BUT we believe that this testimony is secondary.  Along with our forefathers in the faith, we believe that holy baptism is primarily God's work.  That is to say, we believe that baptism is not just an ordinance.  It is also a sacrament.  Whether the one being baptized is an infant or an adult convert, when we come to the waters of baptism with faith in Christ, God is present and at work.  Further, as the hymn makes clear, we believe that the whole of the Holy Trinity is at work in this sacrament.

Charles Wesley says it so well:

 

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

1. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
In solemn pow'r come down!

Present with Thy heav'nly host,
Thine ordinance to crown,
See a sinful soul of earth!
Bless to him the cleansing flood!
Plunge him, by a second birth,
Into the depths of God.

2. Let the promised inward grace
Accompany the sign;
On this newborn soul impress
The character divine!
Father, all Thy name reveal;
Jesus, all Thy name impart;
Holy Ghost, renew and dwell
Forever in his heart!

Advice from Charles Wesley When Seeing Sin in Others

Lord, save me from a worse extreme,

When sin in others I condemn.

Assist me first to lay aside

The spiteful bitterness of pride;

Reflecting on myself, to see

A soul not half so vile as me;

And then my neighbor to reprove

In meekness, humbleness, and love.

 

(#111 in Ken Bible's Wesley Hymns)

 

I would point out both the call for humbleness and the call to reprove in love.  That is to say, this is not the same thing as a harsh, judgmental rebuke.  Neither is it the same thing as accepting sin in our sisters and brothers because we recognize and accept it in ourselves.  This cuts down the straw man that is so often erected by those who want to embrace sin as being okay, and it destroys the judgmental position of pride by those who exhibit little humbleness, love or Christlikeness.

May we be those who heed Charles' advice.

How to Treat the Failings of Others

One of the great things about Ken Bible's Wesley Hymns (Lillenas Publishing Co., Kansas City, MO. 1982) is that he includes various prayers and quotes from Wesley, throughout. 

As I have mentioned, before, I often sing (usually) three hymns while praying Morning or Evening Prayer.  I have used various sources, most notably the Nazarene hymnal (viz., Sing to the Lord), and Ken Bible's Wesley Hymns.  (I've also sung through the volume of hymns in Wesley's Works.  For those familiar, you can imagine I was in that volume for a long time!)  -  Right now, I'm in Wesley Hymns.

In my singing, today, below #103 "Blest Be the Dear Uniting Love," Ken included the following passage from John Wesley's A Collection of Forms of Prayer for Every Day in the Week.  May this be so for me, for all Wesleyans/Methodists and Anglicans, and, indeed, for all who follow Christ.

     Let me look upon the failings of my neighbor as if they were my own; that I may be grieved
     for them, that I may never reveal them but when charity requires, and then with tenderness
     and compassion.  Let your love to me, O blessed Savior, be the pattern of my love to him.
     You thought nothing too dear to part with, to rescue me from eternal misery; oh, let me
     think nothing too dear to part with to set forward the everlasting good of my fellow
     Christians.  They are members of your body; therefore I will cherish them.  You have
     redeemed them with an inestimable price; assisted by Your Holy Spirit, therefore, I will
     endeavor to recover them from a state of destruction.

Depth of Mercy! / Jesus, the Sinner's Friend

Two powerful Charles Wesley hymns:

 

Depth of Mercy!

 

Depth of mercy! can there be

Mercy still reserved for me?

Can my God His wrath forbear -

Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

 

I have long withstood His grace,

Long provoked Him to His face,

Would not hearken to His calls,

grieved Him by a thousand falls.

 

Now incline me to repent;

Let me now my sins lament;

Now my foul revolt deplore,

Weep, believe, and sin no more.

 

There for me the Saviour stands,

Holding forth His wounded hands;

God is love! I know, I feel,

Jesus weeps and loves me still.


Jesus, the Sinner's Friend

 

Jesus, the sinner's Friend, to thee,

Lost and undone, for aid I flee,

Weary of earth, myself, and sin:

Open Thine arms, and take me in.

 

Pity and heal my sinsick soul;

'Tis Thou alone canst make me whole:

Dark, till in me Thine image shine,

And lost, I am, till Thou art mine.

 

At last I own it cannot be

That I should fit myself for Thee;

Here, then, to Thee I all resign;

Thine is the work, and only Thine.

 

What shall I say Thy grace to move?

Lord, I am sin, but Thou art love:

I give up every plea beside -

Lord, I am lost, but Thou hast died.