On 24th May, John Wesley wrote in his journal:
In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.
And so Methodism spread as John and his brother Charles gained confidence through the Holy Spirit, John in his Field Preaching and his brother Charles in his hymn writing.
Niamh over the two years of pandemic has recorded many of Charles’ hymns from our hymnbook and also the one or two we have attributed to John.
Mark Wesley Day by listening to some of the hymns below and tell us in the comments below which your favourite(s) is (are). Or listen to this Wesley playlist on our YouTube channel
The three hymns in Singing the Faith attributed to John Wesley are:
Now I have found the ground wherein (StF 561)
O God, what offering shall I give (StF 562)
What shall we offer our good Lord (StF 671)
And the many attributed to his brother Charles are:
Father, in whom we live (StF 5)
Hail! Holy, holy, holy Lord! (StF 9)
Meet and right it is to sing (StF 32)
My God, I am thine (StF 80)
Praise the Lord who reigns above (StF 85)
Sing to the great Jehovah’s praise (StF 127)
Christ, whose glory fills the skies (StF 134)
Come, divine interpreter (StF 154)
Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire (StF 155) Come, thou long-expected Jesus (StF 169)
Lo, he comes with clouds descending (StF 177) Glory be to God on high (StF 199)
Hark! The herald-angels sing (StF 202)
Let earth and heaven combine (StF 208)
O Love divine, what have you done! (StF 278)
All you that seek the Lord who died (StF 294)
Christ the Lord is risen today; Alleluia! (StF 298)
Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia! (StF 300)
Father, whose everlasting love (StF 320)
Jesus comes with all his grace (StF 326)
Jesus, the First and Last (StF 329)
Rejoice, the Lord is King! (StF 335)
Son of God, if your free grace (StF 336)
Ye servants of God (StF 340)
And can it be that I should gain (StF 345)
Jesus, lover of my soul (StF 355)
Jesus – the name high over all (StF 357)
Let earth and heaven agree (StF 358)
O for a thousand tongues to sing (StF 364)
Thou hidden source of calm repose (StF 366)
Come, O everlasting Spirit (StF 375)
Father of everlasting grace (StF 378)
My God! I know, I feel thee mine (StF 390)
Come, sinners, to the gospel feast (StF 401)
See how great a flame aspires (StF 412)
What shall I do my God to love, my loving God to praise? (StF 436)
Your ceaseless, unexhausted love (StF 438)
Open, Lord, my inward ear (StF 450)
Where shall my wondering soul begin? (StF 454)
And are we yet alive (StF 456)
Author of faith, eternal Word (StF 457)
Away with our fears! (StF 458)
Captain of Israel’s host, and Guide (StF 459)
Come, let us anew our journey pursue (StF 460)
Come, O thou Traveller unknown (StF 461)
Being of beings, God of love (StF 490)
God of all power, and truth, and grace (StF 498)
Happy are they who find the grace (StF 500)
I know that my Redeemer lives (StF 502)
Love divine, all loves excelling (StF 503)
My heart is full of Christ, and longs (StF 506)
O for a heart to praise my God (StF 507)
Stupendous height of heavenly love (StF 512)
What shall I do my God to love, my Saviour (StF 516)
Pray, without ceasing, pray (StF 528)
Behold the servant of the Lord! (StF 546)
Come, let us use the grace divine (StF 549)
Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go (StF 550)
Let him to whom we now belong (StF 557)
O thou who camest from above (StF 564)
Author of life divine (StF 572)
Because you have said (StF 574)
Come, Holy Ghost, your influence shed (StF 579)
Jesus, we thus obey (StF 590)
O thou who this mysterious bread (StF 597)
Victim divine, thy grace we claim (StF 600)
All praise to our redeeming Lord (StF 608)
Thou God of truth and love (StF 620)
Soldiers of Christ, arise (StF 637)
Come, and let us sweetly join (StF 646)
A charge to keep I have (StF 658)
Give me the faith which can remove (StF 661)
Christ, from whom all blessings flow (StF 676)
Great is our redeeming Lord (StF 683)
We pray until the hour (StF 741)
Come, let us join our friends above (StF 744)