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A short hymn inspired by some words from the Song of Songs, asking the Good Shepherd to lead his straying lamb back to the flock.
This hymn is part of a series of poems based on the Song of Songs in the Old Testament. Charles Wesley combines two Biblical images together: the Good Shepherd, which he takes from the Song and from St John’s Gospel; and Christ as the Rock where Moses was enabled to look upon God’s glory without being destroyed by the sight.
A hymn looking to the coming of Christ in judgement, sung at the Wesleys’ New Year’s Eve watch-nights.
In his Journal, John Wesley tells us that this was the hymn that he generally chose to conclude his Watch-Night services. John borrowed the idea of these midnight vigils from the Moravians, and they quickly became a popular feature of Wesleyan ministry throughout the year. New Year’s Eve was a favourite for watch-nights, a propitious time for sober reflection and good resolutions.
A hymn addressed to the Holy Spirit as God’s royal seal upon the heart.
Hymns and indeed prayers to the Holy Spirit are not particularly common, but Charles Wesley composed several hymns to or about the Spirit. This hymn focuses on the idea (taken from St Paul’s letters) of the Holy Spirit as God’s royal seal on the Christian’s soul, a stamped image marking the believer out as redeemed by and for God.
Charles Wesley is bursting with the good news of salvation, but for a moment finds himself at a loss for words.
On May 21st, 1738, Church of England clergyman Charles Wesley felt for the first time that the message of the gospel was really ‘for me’ — a message addressed not only to all mankind, but to Charles Wesley. His overpowering ‘conversion’ (as he called it) momentarily bewildered him, but fortunately for us he was not at a loss for words for long.
A hymn to God asking him to send his Holy Spirit on us, and make us fit to sing with the choir of saints in heaven.
St John tells us that Jesus Christ promised to pray to the Father, and ask him to send his Holy Spirit on the Church after Christ had gone up to his heavenly kingdom. Remembering this promise, Charles Wesley appeals to God to renew his gift daily.
Charles Wesley finds comfort in the knowledge that nothing can separate him from the love of Jesus Christ.
“I am persuaded,” St Paul told the Christians of Rome, “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It was a just such a secure serenity that filled Charles Wesley, as he records in this hymn.