Today is the memorial of Charles Wesley, who died, full of years as of faith and works, in London on this date in 1788. Wesley is rightly considered the most gifted writer of hymns that England has ever produced, and he was fully alive to the importance of hymnody in devotion and in the spread of the Christian faith. He was so prolific a hymnist, and his work is so rich, that there is no season of the Christian year when his words don't speak to us. We give thanks for his life and work.



Among the many riches of Gerard's site is a section devoted to Charles Wesley and his brother John and to the Methodist movement.



Here is the text, and a link to the music, of one of Charles Wesley's 6000 hymns.



O For A Heart To Praise My God



O for a heart to praise my God,

A heart from sin set free,

A heart that always feels Thy blood

So freely shed for me.



A heart resigned, submissive, meek,

My great Redeemer's throne,

Where only Christ is heard to speak,

Where Jesus reigns alone.



A humble, lowly, contrite, heart,

Believing, true and clean,

Which neither life nor death can part

From Christ who dwells within.



A heart in every thought renewed

And full of love divine,

Perfect and right and pure and good,

A copy, Lord, of Thine.



Thy tender heart is still the same,

And melts at human woe:

Jesus, for thee distressed I am,

I want Thy love to know.



My heart, Thou know'st, can never rest

Till Thou create my peace;

Till of mine Eden repossest,

From self, and sin, I cease.



Fruit of Thy gracious lips, on me

Bestow that peace unknown,

The hidden manna, and the tree

Of life, and the white stone.



Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart;

Come quickly from above;

Write Thy new name upon my heart,

Thy new, best name of Love.