Source A: Charles Wesley Biography
Charles Wesley was born in 1707 in Epworth, England. He was the youngest of 19 children in a religious family. His mother, Susanna Wesley, was a strong influence on his early education, teaching him and his siblings at home. At age nine, Charles went to Westminster School in London, and then attended Christ Church College at Oxford. He was a top student who loved reading and writing poetry.
While at Oxford, Charles started a small religious group with a few classmates. They followed a strict daily schedule of prayer, study, and visiting people in prison. Some students teased them by calling them “Methodists” because of their methodical habits. His brother John Wesley later became the leader of this group. Charles soon decided to become a clergyman and help spread Christian teachings.
In 1735, Charles and John traveled to the Georgia colony in North America as missionaries. Their trip across the Atlantic Ocean was long and dangerous, and Charles became very sick. After only a few months, he returned to England, feeling discouraged. But soon after, he experienced a deep sense of peace and spiritual renewal, which gave him new energy and purpose.
Charles became known for his powerful preaching and writing. He started to write hymns, or religious songs, that explained Christian ideas and encouraged people to have faith. He published books of hymns and poems with his brother John Wesely. These hymns were sung by many people during the Methodist revival, a religious movement that spread across England and the American colonies in the 1700s.
In 1749, Charles married Sarah Gwynne, and they had eight children, though only three survived. He kept traveling and writing, producing over 4,500 published hymns. Some of his most famous hymns include “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” and “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today.” Many of these songs are still sung in churches today.
Although Charles sometimes disagreed with his brother John about church leadership, he remained devoted to his faith and to writing hymns. His music inspired people in both England and the American colonies. By the time he died in 1788, Charles Wesley had created a lasting legacy as one of the most influential religious songwriters of his time.
Source B: Grace Before Meat by Charles. 1740.
Fountain of being, source of good! At whose almighty breath
The creature proves our bane or food,
Dispensing life or death:
Thee we address with humble fear,
Vouchsafe thy gifts to crown;
Father of all, thy children hear,
And send a blessing down.
O may our souls for ever pine
Thy grace to taste and see;
Athirst for righteousness divine,
And hungry after thee!
For this we lift our longing eyes,
We wait the gracious word;
Speak—and our hearts from earth shall rise,
And feed upon the Lord.