Charles Wesley – birth, Dec. 18, 1707

304 years ago yesterday Charles Wesley was born in England.  He wrote:

            Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born inBethlehem!”

Refrain Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

            2. Christ, by highest Heav’n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.

            3. Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.

            4. Come, Desire of nations, come, Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed, Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power, Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

            5. Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface, Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain, Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart, Formed in each believing heart.

How much poorer our world would be without the heart & pen of Charles.

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Michael Wigglesworth – death, Jun 10, 1705

“The  Day  of  Doom”

  (these lines from near the end)

 This O New-England hast thou got

By riot, and excess:

This hast thou brought upon thy self

By pride and wantonness.

Thus must thy worldlyness be whipt.

They, that too much do crave,

Provoke the Lord to take away

Such blessings as they have.

 

We have been also threatened

With worser things than these:

And God can bring them on us still,

To morrow if he please.

For if his mercy be abus’d,

Which holpe us at our need

And mov’d his heart to pitty us,

We shall be plagu’d indeed.

 

Beware, O sinful Land, beware;

And do not think it strange

That sorer judgements are at hand,

Unless thou quickly change.

Or God, or thou, must quickly change;

Or else thou art undon:

Wrath cannot cease, if sin remain,

Where judgement is begun.

 

Michael Wigglesworth died this date 6/10/1705, at Malden, Massachusetts.  He graduated from Harvard in 1851.  His famous The Day of Doom is thought to have been first published in 1662.  (At least one source says he died 5/27/1705.)  He appears to have been born in England and that most likely on 10/18/1631.

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Frances Ridley Havergal – death, Jun 3, 1879

I gave My life for thee, My precious blood I shed,
That thou might ransomed be, and raised up from the dead
I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?
I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?

My Father’s house of light, My glory circled throne
I left for earthly night, for wanderings sad and lone;
I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me?
I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me?

I suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell,
Of bitterest agony, to rescue thee from hell.
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me?
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me?

And I have brought to thee, down from My home above,
Salvation full and free, My pardon and My love;
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me?
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me?

Frances Ridley Havergal died 6/3/1879 at Caswall Bay, near Swansea, Wales (had been born in England). The daughter of hymnist William Havergal, she is said to have been reading by age four and writing verse at seven. She learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and memorized the Psalms, the book of Isaiah, and most of the New Testament.

 “I Gave My Life Thee” was Havergal’s first hymn (cyberhymnal lists eighty hymns).

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