And Can It Be? The Original Version

 

And Can It Be, written by Charles Wesley in 1738, was first published in Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1739. The original title was Free Grace. There were six stanzas with no refrain, which you can see below. I have never before seen the 5th stanza in the original version. I like it!

I haven’t discovered the original tune and am not sure anyone knows. It has been sung to several different tunes, but the best known is Sagina, composed by Thomas Cambell in the early 19th century. He is also credited with adding the refrain. I have sung it a time or two with the refrain being simply repeating the last two lines of each stanza, but I personally prefer the traditional refrain, the last two lines of the first stanza repeated after every stanza, which I also call the right way.

Free Grace 

1 And can it be, that I should gain

An int’rest in the Saviour’s blood!

Dy’d he for me?—Who caus’d his pain!

For me?—Who him to death pursu’d.

Amazing love! How can it be

That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

2 ’Tis myst’ry all! Th’ immortal dies!

Who can explore his strange design?

In vain the first-born seraph tries

To sound the depths of love divine.

’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;

Let angel minds enquire no more.

4 He left his Father’s throne above,

(So free, so infinite his grace!)

Empty’d 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!

4 Long my imprison’d spirit lay,

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night:

Thine eye diffus’d a quick’ning ray;

I woke; the dungeon flam’d with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and follow’d thee.

5 Still the small inward voice I hear,

That whispers all my sins forgiv’n;

Still the atoning blood is near,

That quench’d the wrath of hostile heav’n:

I feel the life his wounds impart;

I feel my Saviour in my heart.

6 No condemnation now I dread,

Jesus, and all in him, is mine:

Alive in him, my living head,

And cloath’d in righteousness divine,

Bold I approach th’ eternal throne,

And claim the crown, thro’ Christ, my own.

 

After much searching I found this at

https://divinity.duke.edu/initiatives/wesleyan-methodist/cswt-jw

For the Anniversary Day of One’s Conversion

 

For the Anniversary Day of One’s Conversion. This was the title of that Charles Wesley hymn we know as, “O for a thousand tongues to sing, when he first published it in his Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1740.  Later, it was chosen by his brother John to be the first hymn in A Collection of Hymns for Use of the People Called Methodists (1780), the first true Methodist hymnal.

In American hymnals, “O for a thousand tongues” almost always appears with the familiar tune Azmon. Wesley indicated ‘Birstal Tune’ was the tune for this text (a tune I have never heard of).  One author said he “found this hymn paired with no fewer than twelve different tunes.  This might seem bewildering, but it isn’t actually that surprising—because of the straightforward meter of the poetry, this hymn can be sung to a wide variety of tunes (including the themes to The Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island).”

Wesley’s original has 18 stanzas beginning with ‘Glory to God, and praise and love.’  The part we know begins at stanza 7.  I have found the number of stanzas in hymnals today varies between four, five, and seven. Wesley himself had ten in the 1780 collection.  If included, stanza 1 is placed at the end today.

When Charles Wesley was converted he had been ill in bed for some time, and the fear of death had often come into his mind. On Sunday, May 21, 1738, his brother and some friends came in and sang a hymn. After they went out he prayed alone for some time.

In his journal we read: “I was composing myself to sleep in quietness and peace when I heard one come in and say, In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, arise, and believe, and thou shalt be healed of all thine infirmities. The words struck me to the heart. I lay musing and trembling. With a strange palpitation of heart, I said, I believe, I believe ! ”

In 1739, one year after his conversion, Wesley wrote this hymn. The phrase, O for a thousand tongues to sing, was inspired by Moravian missionary Peter Boehler’s statement: “Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise Christ Jesus with all of them.”

I’m singing through The Alliance Hymnal and sang O For A Thousand Tongues this morning. I knew there were a bunch of stanzas, so I searched until I found them all. Here, for your singing enjoyment and edification, are all 18 stanzas!

Glory to God, and praise and love

Be ever, ever given,

By saints below and saints above,

The church in earth and heaven.

On this glad day the glorious Sun 

Of Righteousness arose;

on my benighted soul he shone

and filled it with repose.

Sudden expired the legal strife,

’twas then I ceased to grieve;

My second, real, living life

I then began to live.

Then with my heart I first believed,

Believed with faith divine,

Power with the Holy Ghost received

to call the Savior mine.

I felt my Lord’s atoning blood

Close to my soul applied;

me, me he loved, the Son of God,

for me, for me he died!

I found and owned his promise true,

Ascertained of my part,

My pardon passed in heaven I knew

When written on my heart.

O for a thousand tongues to sing

my dear Redeemer’s praise!

The glories of my God and King,

The triumphs of his grace.

My gracious Master and my God,

Assist me to proclaim,

To spread through all the earth abroad

The honors of thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,

That bids our sorrows cease;

’tis music in the sinner’s ears,

’tis life, and health, and peace!

He breaks the power of canceled sin,

he sets the prisoner free;

his blood can make the foulest clean;

his blood availed for me.

He speaks, and listening to his voice

New life the dead receive;

The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,

The humble poor believe.

Hear him, ye deaf, his praise, ye dumb,

Your loosened tongues employ;

Ye blind, behold your Savior come,

And leap, ye lame, for joy.

Look unto him, ye nations, own

Your God, ye fallen race!

Look, and be saved through faith alone,

Be justified by grace!

See all our sins on Jesus laid;

The Lamb of God was slain,

His soul was once an offering made

For every soul of man.

Harlots and publicans and thieves,

in holy triumph join!

Saved is the sinner that believes

From crimes as great as mine.

Murderers and all ye hellish crew,

ye sons of lust and pride,

believe the Savior died for you;

for me the Savior died.

Awake from guilty nature’s sleep,

And Christ shall give you light,

Cast all your sins into the deep,

And wash the Ethiop white.

With me, your chief, you then shall know,

Shall feel your sins forgiven;

Anticipate your heaven below

and own that love is heaven.

 

These two websites were very helpful:

https://trinitymbmusic.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/hymn-493-for-the-anniversary-day-of-ones-conversion/

https://reasonabletheology.org/hymn-story-o-for-a-thousand-tongues-to-sing/

Paul’s Commission

 

We are going through the Book of Acts at church and have just recently finished chapters 23-26. Paul is on trial before Jewish and Roman authorities. Yesterday, I pointed out the theme that runs through his defense like a mighty river. I thought that was exciting and insightful! Today, we find Paul before King Agrippa, giving his testimony. And in his testimony he shares his commission. Wow!!

Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Paul’s ministry is described in v 18 in 5 statements. Interesting that 5 is the number of grace.¹ Each one of them is mentioned and elaborated upon in his epistles.

to open their eyes

Isaiah 52:15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

 

and turn darkness to light

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

 

and power of Satan unto God

Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

 

that they may receive forgiveness of sins

Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

 

and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me

Colossians 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

This is what God will do for all who will believe in Jesus Christ.

 

“Awake, O sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”²

 

 

¹ Number in Scrpture, E.W. Bullinger

“We have had hitherto the three persons of the Godhead, and their manifestation in creation. Now we have a further revelation of a People called out from mankind, redeemed and saved, to walk with God from earth to heaven. Hence, Redemption follows creation. Inasmuch as in consequence of the fall of man creation came under the curse and was "made subject to vanity," therefore man and creation must be redeemed. Thus we have:

1. Father

2. Son

3. Spirit

4. Creation

5. Redemption

These are the five great mysteries, and five is therefore the number of GRACE.”

² Ephesians 5:14

The Hope of the Resurrection

 

We are going through the Book of Acts at church and have just recently finished chapters 23-26. Paul is on trial before Jewish and Roman authorities and there is a theme that runs through his defense like a mighty river. I think it is exciting and insightful, for here we see Paul’s heart. I just want to simply quote him, with very little added commentary.

Paul before the chief priests and all their council

23:6  …Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

“This was Paul's cardinal doctrine as a Christian minister. It was this fact that convinced him that Jesus was the Messiah and was the very centre of his faith  and of his preaching.” †

“St. Paul had preached the resurrection of the dead, on the foundation and evidence of the resurrection of Christ. For this, he and the apostles were, some time before, imprisoned by the high priest and elders, because they preached, through Jesus, the resurrection of the dead.” ‡

Paul before Felix

24:14  But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

15  And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

the way – this seems to have been an early description of the faith

24:21  Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

24:22  And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way…

Agrippa agrees to hear Paul’s case

25:19  But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

“And of one Jesus. This is the climax of supercilious scorn toward both Paul and 'one Jesus.' Who was dead…Whom Paul affirmed to be alive. With all his toploftical airs Festus has here correctly stated the central point of Paul's preaching about Jesus as no longer dead, but living.” †

Toploftical – (I love this, but had to look it up!) a rare, informal, and often humorous adjective from the 19th century describing someone as haughty, arrogant, or disdainfully superior.

Paul before Agrippa

26:6  And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

26:7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

26:8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?Once again, it seems clear that the hope Paul is speaking of is the resurrection of the dead. 

“hope to come (26:7) is the very same word which Paul, in Phi 3:11, uses to express the same thing: If by any means, I might attain to, the resurrection of the dead.” ‡

What is this mighty river that runs through Paul’s defense? It is the resurrection of the dead. And he makes it very clear that this was not some new doctrine he had introduced, it was the hope of the Jews, which was based on the law and the prophets. This hope was tied to their hope of the coming Messiah. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead confirmed two powerful truths: (1) Jesus was declared Son of God with power (Rom 1:4) and (2) there will be a resurrection of the dead. This is what Paul believed; this is what Paul preached; this is where he took his stand – There will be a resurrection of the dead. This is really cool!

Philippians 3:8-11 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

† Word Pictures in the New Testament, Archibald Thomas (A.T.) Robertson (1863 – 1934).

‡ Commentary on the Bible, Adam Clarke (1762 – 1832), Irish writer, biblical scholar, Methodist theologian.