I have been doing a little research on Charles Wesley. What a remarkable person-poet, preacher, and man of God! Truthfully, I knew nothing about Mr. Wesley until I read an excerpt about him and his brother John in the little hymn book that my sister Catherine gave me for my birthday. (Then Sings My Soul Book 2, by Robert Morgan).

I was fascinated to read the passages from Charles’s journal which described several days of riding and preaching in Wales. It was constantly raining and miserable. They rose at dawn and rode on horseback all day long, stopping to preach along the way as many as 6 times a day for multiple hours each time. And they weren’t always welcomed visitors.

They were named Methodists from the orderly way that they went about their lives. Starting in Oxford with the student club that they formed using a very precise way of studying, in contrast to the teaching style that was employed by the faculty at that time. The club was derisively named “The Holy Club” by other students but has stuck as the source and explanation for the beginning of the Methodist movement. The members of the club maintained personal piety and set about tending the poor and visiting prisoners, even sailing to the New World to minister to the prison colony of Georgia.

Charles and John had a remarkable mother, Susanna. She was way ahead of her time in the assertive role that she played in their education and formation. Charles was the 18^th child of 19 to be born to Susanna and Samuel Wesley. Nine of his siblings survived birth and infancy.

Here’s what caught my attention and sent me to do more research about his life. There was an ulterior motive for Charles’ journey to Garth. He wanted to preach, but he also wanted to visit with Sally Gwynee. He was in love and wanted to marry her. Without a regular source of income, her parents were not receptive.

So, he agreed to publish two volumes of his writings. Hymns and Sacred Poems provided the necessary income to satisfy her parents. They were married in April 1749. “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” was published in a 1745 hymnal entitled “Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord.” There is not complete agreement on the actual number of hymns that Wesley wrote, but I saw figures between 7,000 and 8,989. That’s a lot of hymns. We still sing and love many of his compositions today.

Wesley, very like Martin Luther, was searching as he went from town to town. He was searching for a personal relationship with God. He thought that he could gain entry to heaven and receive forgiveness by his good works. It was not until he studied Luther’s work on Galatians that he came to the same conclusion as Luther. We are justified by faith alone in Jesus Christ. A personal faith in Jesus Christ who loves you unconditionally. 

This rendition of “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” is performed by a young folk group with guitars and percussion. It demonstrates the timelessness of Charles Wesley’s words and the music composed for those poems. Wesley’s devotion to God and his inspired methodical writing has left us richer in so many ways.

Terri