THE STORY OF THE HYMNS AND THEIR WRITERS 231
more distinct and strong than he had reached for several days past, with his eyes raised toward heaven, and a look of indescribable brightness, " Upwards ! Upwards ! "
Hymn 358. Where shall my wondering soul begin ? CHARLES WESLEY (i).
Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739 ; Works, i. 91. The first hymn in the second part, headed Christ the Friend of Sinners.
Charles Wesley found peace with God on Whit Sunday, May 21, 1738. On the following Tuesday morning he writes, At nine I began a hymn upon my conversion, but was persuaded to break off, for fear of pride. Mr. Bray coming, encouraged me to proceed in spite of Satan. I prayed Christ to stand by me, and finished the hymn. Upon my afterwards showing it to Mr. Bray, the devil threw in a fiery dart, suggest ing that it was wrong, and I had displeased God. My heart sunk within me ; when, casting my eye upon a Prayer-book, I met with an answer for him. " Why boastest thou thyself, thou tyrant, that thou canst do mischief?" Upon this, I clearly discerned it was a device of the enemy to keep back glory from God. He saw that God could defend him from pride while speaking for Him. In His name therefore, and through His strength, I will perform my vows unto the Lord, of not hiding His righteousness within my heart, if it should ever please Him to plant it there. 1
That is almost the very phraseology of ver. 3
Refuse His righteousness to impart, By hiding it within my heart ?
Next day the hymn was sung in Charles Wesley s room in Little Britain over another convert. Towards ten, my brother was brought in triumph by a troop of our friends, and declared, " I believe." We sang the hymn with great joy, and parted with prayer.
This hymn may be truly described as the birth-song of the Evangelical Revival.
On July 14, 1741, Charles Wesley was at Cardiff. I preached in the afternoon to the prisoners, " How shall I give thee up, O Ephraim ? " Above twenty were felons. The word melted them down. Many tears were shed at the singing that " Outcasts of men, to you I call."
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