A thousand tongues : the Wesley hymns as a guide to scriptural teaching
by John Lawson. Paternoster, 2007 ISBN 978 1 842 275 504 £12.99
Wesley hymns. Hinde St. Methodist Church, 2018 ISBN 978 0 992 613 204 £18
The volume and extent of Charles Wesley’s hymns reveal only too clearly the breadth, depth and height of his breathtaking output over half a century of hymn writing.
You can see the breadth of his work in the range of subjects dealt with in 8000 pieces of religious verse written in his lifetime. John Lawson’s book provides ample evidence for this in the 53 chapters devoted to every particular aspect of Wesley’s massive contribution to Christian hymnody.
You can experience the depth of his poetry as you read or sing the words of such hymns as ‘And can it be…?’ Thought and experience develop and move on from verse to verse in a magnificent portrayal of the real Christian experience.
The evident spirituality of his thoughts and words can move you to heights of inspiration of love for God and his truth.
Hinde Street Methodist Church, in their 2018 publication, draw attention to the gradual loss, over time, of the Wesley hymns – the 1780 Methodist hymn book with 560 hymns, for example, contained 515 hymns (92%) authored by John and Charles , mostly by Charles; the 1904 book included 445 out of 981 hymns written by the Wesleys (45%) and the 1933 book had some 268 out of 984 hymns (27%) while Hymns & Psalms (1983) had 173 by the Wesleys out of 822 (21%). Our latest hymn book, Singing the Faith, has just 79 of Charles’ hymns and 3 of John’s from a total of 790 hymns in the book (10%).
The main purpose of the Hinde St. hymn book is to remind us of many of the Wesley hymns which were in Hymns & Psalms but which have been dropped from Singing the Faith. 98 hymns are included in this publication, arranged by theme ranging from ‘Eternal, triune Lord !’ to ‘A Vision of Heaven’. One inclusion is well worth noting – ‘Love divine, all loves excelling’ – which has a second verse not often sung in Methodist circles. Even more noteworthy is the tune to which this hymn is set – not Blaenwern as you might expect, but ‘Fairest Isle’, originally composed by Henry Purcell.
John Lawson’s book is a different kettle of fish. Especially useful to preachers and worship leaders, the writer presents 53 short chapters on theological doctrines from ‘God, the Sovereign Creator’ to ‘The Second Advent’. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction to Wesley’s thought on the specified topic followed by a few hymns printed in full with Biblical references and allusions for each line of the hymn.
The whole of Biblical Christian faith and experience in hymns is explored and exposed in the impressive work of this Methodist scholar.
To have two such books devoted to Wesley’s hymns is recognition enough of the enduring impact of his work even down to our present day.
If you love the hymns of Charles Wesley you will delight in and treasure either one or both of these books.