The first hymn i chose randomly.....by Charles Wesley...absoltely beautifull like the majoirity of his hymns.....

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==C.M.

1 COME, O thou all-victorious Lord!
Thy power to us make known;
Strike with the hammer of thy word,
And break these hearts of stone.

2 O that we all might now begin
Our foolishness to mourn;
And turn at once from every sin,
And to our Saviour turn!

3 Give us ourselves and thee to know,
In this our gracious day;
Repentance unto life bestow,
And take our sins away.

4 Conclude us first in unbelief,
And freely then release;
Fill every soul with sacred grief,
And then with sacred peace.

5 Impoverish, Lord, and then relieve,
And then enrich the poor;
The knowledge of our sickness give,
The knowledge of our cure.

6 That blessed sense of guilt impart,
And then remove the load;
Trouble, and wash the troubled heart
In the atoning blood.

7 Our desperate state through sin declare,
And speak our sins forgiven;
By perfect holiness prepare,
And take us up to heaven.

Is it my imagination, or does this one beautiful song contain more Gospel in it then all of the contemporary Praise and Worship music marketed to our churches in the past decade?

Apparently Charles wasn't a crossover artist!

(edit: Think of the hindrance to understanding God's promise of a New Life because countless popular worship songs teach that sentimental love, if felt passionate enough, can substitute for obedient love. Think of how many popular Christian songs on the radio seem to wallow in failure and unbelief, as if admitting this condition is the same as true humility.)

MC

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SermonIndex.net Moderator - Mike Compton
"The most tremendous judgment of God in this world is the hardening of the hearts of men." John Owen

yeah so true.....sad.

This is a most beautiful hymn. I was actually singing this hymn a few days ago, during which God gave me such brokeness and tears. I exhort Christians to read and sing the old Methodist hymns during their private prayer and devotion times with God. Nothing, nothing, nothing surpasses them in terms of holiness and purity. I thank God for these gems, and praise Him for opening my heart to appreciate them. You'll get fed real meat from these Spirit-breathed hymns! Hallelujah!

When I would tell my youth group about the majesty of God in the old hymns, they would laugh and shake their heads, saying, "Old man! Who wants to listen to boring hymns!" (I'm only 35!) They would laugh and put their headsets back on to listen to more Newsboys and Kutless or whatever. So sad. And we wonder why holiness and sanctification are such foreign words to them?

Thanks for posting this hymn. Another great Charles Wesley hymn is "All Praise to Him Who Dwells in Bliss."

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SermonIndex.net Moderator - Paul West

"It is an undoubted truth that every doctrine that comes from God leads to God; and that which doth not tend to promote holiness is not of God."

George Whitefield (1714-1770)

And here's another Wesley hymn I was listening to this morning. Thisn one might bring the reality of judgment a little too close for comfort for some of us! I wonder how many of our churches sang songs like this for praise and woship last Sunday...


Thou Judge of quick and dead, before Whose bar severe,
With holy joy, or guilty dread, we all shall soon appear;
Our cautioned souls prepare for that tremendous day,
And fill us now with watchful care, and stir us up to pray.

To pray, and wait the hour, that wondrous hour unknown,
When, robed in majesty and power, Thou shalt from Heaven come down
The immortal Son of man, to judge the human race,
With all Thy Father’s dazzling train, with all Thy glorious grace.

To damp our earthly joys, to increase our gracious fears,
For ever let the archangel’s voice be sounding in our ears;
The solemn midnight cry, “Ye dead, the Judge is come,
Arise, and meet Him in the sky, and meet your instant doom!”

O may we thus be found obedient to His Word,
Attentive to the trumpet’s sound, and looking for our Lord!
O may we thus ensure a lot among the blest;
And watch a moment to secure an everlasting rest!

- Charles Wesley

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SermonIndex.net Moderator - Paul West

"It is an undoubted truth that every doctrine that comes from God leads to God; and that which doth not tend to promote holiness is not of God."

George Whitefield (1714-1770)

Man i have a digital copy of this hymnbook but man i would pay a lot of money for a copy i could place in my hands.......

C. Wesley.....every hymn is a blessing....

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==C.M.

1 GOD of eternal truth and grace,
Thy faithful promise seal!
Thy word, thy oath, to Abraham's race,
In us, even us, fulfil.

2 Let us, to perfect love restored,
Thy image here retrieve,
And in the presence of our Lord
The life of angels live.

3 That mighty faith on me bestow
Which cannot ask in vain,
Which holds, and will not let thee go,
Till I my suit obtain;

4 Till thou into my soul inspire
The perfect love unknown,
And tell my infinite desire,
"Whate'er thou wilt, be done."

5 But is it possible that I
Should live and sin no more?
Lord, if on thee I dare rely,
The faith shall bring the power.

6 On me that faith divine bestow
Which doth the mountain move;
And all my spotless life shall show
The omnipotence of love.

Compton wrote:

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SermonIndex.net Moderator - Paul West

"It is an undoubted truth that every doctrine that comes from God leads to God; and that which doth not tend to promote holiness is not of God."

George Whitefield (1714-1770)

Beautiful hymn indeed!

Here is a link to the [url=http://www.nisbett.com/hymns/jw.html]1876 edition of the Methodist Hymnal[/url]. I like how the over 1000 hymns have been listed in parts and sections. It is a blessing to read a hymn a day sort of like a devotional, it will take close to 3 years to get through the whole hymnal in this way!

In Christ,

Ron

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The soul that would not fear to climb a mountain may actually stumble over a straw. The real secret of perfect rest is to be jealously, habitually occupied with Jesus. - A.B. Simpson

1.
And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior's blood!
Died he for me? who caused his pain!
For me? who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?


2.
'Tis mystery all: th' Immortal dies!
Who can explore his strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
let angel minds inquire no more.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
let angel minds inquire no more.


3.
He left his Father's throne above
(so free, so infinite his grace!),
emptied himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam's helpless race.
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for O my God, it found out me!
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for O my God, it found out me!


4.
Long my imprisoned sprit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.


5.
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
alive in him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach th' eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th' eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

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[i]"I find it most intriguing to contemplate the fact that while men are considering what place to give Jesus Christ in history, He has already decided what place to give them in eternity." - Leonard Ravenhill[/i]

[i]"We all have to come to the realization that, as Jesus said "Apart from me, YOU CAN DO NOTHING". We cannot preach with any effect upon the souls of men at anytime or at any place. But it is like falling off a log to Him. For Christ to win souls is a daily occurrence." - Tim Gogerty[/i]