When Charles Wesley and his brother John were traveling the world preaching the Gospel in the mid 1700’s, it was a difficult and uneasy season. There was an awakening happening in the Church and at times things even became

violent.

Once when Wesley was preaching in Ireland, about 1740, he was attacked by a group who did not think he was preaching Truth. Wesley ran away and stumbled upon a farmhouse where the farmer’s wife hid him in the milk house. The unruly gang also made it to the house and demanded the farmers give up Wesley. She gave them refreshments hoping to calm them down and while they were eating she slipped out to where Wesley was hiding and sent him to conceal himself under a hedge nearby.

There, by a quiet brook, Wesley could see and hear those that were chasing him. While he was waiting for them to leave, he penned a prayer, a hymn, of the One in which he really took retreat. From that poem we have one of the greatest hymns in the book: Jesus, Lover of My Soul. (Joseph Parry wrote the most popular melody to go along with the lyrics in 1879.)

Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not regard my call? Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall, Lo! on Thee I cast my care;
Reach me out Thy gracious hand! While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand, dying, and behold, I live.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name, I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.

Henry Ward Beecher once said of the beloved hymn, “I would rather have written that hymn of Wesley’s, ‘Jesus, Lover of My Soul’ than to have the fame of all the kings that ever sat on earth. It is more glorious; it has more power in it. I would rather be the author of that hymn than to hold the wealth of the richest man in New York. It will go on singing until the trump brings froth the angel band; and then I think it will mount up on some lip to the very presence of God.”

I am sure as Charles Wesley sat underneath that hedge, hiding from a mob that wanted to do him harm, that he wasn’t thinking of the thousands upon thousands that would forever sing this hymn. He didn’t think of the strength that would come to many because of HIS suffering. But had he not went through that difficult time in his life we wouldn’t have such a wonderful truth to sing at the top of our lungs when times are hard.  His beautiful words continually remind us of the sovereignty of God and His complete majesty.

Without Him we are nothing, but when we turn to Jesus, as Wesley did that way, He can deliver, He can save and He can encourage others because of our suffering.

Let us reach for Jesus, the Lover of our Souls. He alone can satisfy the longing, for we were made to worship Him. Share the Good News with someone that is hurting today that Jesus alone can raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.

I sink, I faint, I fall but God raises me up in His time and for His purpose!