Charles Wesley was born December 18th, 1708 in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England to Samuel and Susanna Wesley. The third son and youngest child of 18 children, Charles Wesley would one day become one of the most prolific and long remembered hymn writers of all time. Charles and his brother John would, in a 50-year period, write and publish 39 books of hymns and poetry together. He personally wrote 7,000 hymns during his lifetime, and when he was dying and could write no longer, he dictated the words of his final hymn to another standing by:
Of his salvation, it is said that, due to illness Wesley was detained in the house of a godly mechanic and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Turner.
“After a night of agony, Wesley awoke, May 21st 1738, ‘full of tossings to and fro,’ calling aloud, ‘O Jesus, thou hast said, ‘I will come unto you.’ Thou hast said, ‘I will send the comforter unto you.’ Thou has said,
‘My Father and I will come unto you and will make our abode with you.’ Thou art God, who can’st not lie. I wholly rely upon thy promise.”
As Mrs. Turner heard these plaintive cries, she was constrained to gently say through the slightly opened door, ‘In the name of Jesus of Nazareth arise, and believe,”
It was “a word fitly spoken.” Said he, “O that Christ would but thus speak to me,” and then added “I believe, I believe,” The victory was won. The clouds of unbelief melted away, before the rising sun.
With a heart burning with love to the newly-found Saviour, he took his pen, and wrote the 18 verse hymn;
Colossians 3:16
Melody Publications is an organization focused on reawakening the melody of truth in the hearts and minds of believers at home and abroad. Our prayer is that our work would aid churches and families as they sing “Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs” in praise and in worship to our God.
Quotation taken from “The Illustrated History of Hymns and Their Writers” page 438.
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