How much wealth we have, right at our fingertips, which is so easily overlooked or ignored. Reading through Gadsby’s Hymns, I came on these two Charles Wesley hymns, found back to back at numbers 1053 and 1054, and most likely found in most hymnals of the last century. The words may be familiar to you, and they may bring a hymn tune to mind. If they do, take a moment and think on what Wesley is trying to convey. Even if they aren’t familiar, read through them again and take advantage of the wealth of wisdom and understanding to be gained from this man of God.
#1053 CW
Love divine, all love excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down!
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion;
Pure unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation;
Comfort every sinking heart.
Breathe, O breathe thy blessed Spirit
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in thee inherit;
Let us find thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.
Carry on thy new creation;
Pure and holy may we be;
Let us see our whole salvation
Perfectly secured by thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place;
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
#1054 CW
COME, thou long expected Jesus!
Born to set thy people free;
From our fear and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the saints thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Born thy children to deliver,
Born a child and yet a king;
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thy own eternal Spirit,
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By thy all-sufficient merit,
Raise us to thy glorious throne.
Take a minute and think of how the theme of the first leads right into the theme of the second. Christ, the Love Divine, the Joy of Heaven, born to visit us with His salvation. Born to rule in our hearts and by His merit raise us to His throne.
Wonderful, isn’t it?
