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O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer's praise,
My great Redeemer's praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace,
The triumphs of His grace,
The triumphs of His grace.
My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread thro' all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name,
The honors of Thy name,
The honors of Thy name.
Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease,
That bids our sorrows cease;
'Tis music in the sinner's ears,
'Tis life, and health, and peace,
'Tis life, and health, and peace,
'Tis life, and health, and peace.
He breaks the pow'r of canceled sin,
He sets the pris'ner free,
He sets the pris'ner free.
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me,
His blood availed for me,
His blood availed for me.
Story:
John and Charles Wesley, while students at Oxford University,
formed a religious Holy Club because of their dissatisfaction with the
spiritual lethargy at the school.
As a result of their methodical habits of living and studying, they
were jokingly called methodists by their fellow students. Upon
graduation these young brothers were sent to America by the Anglican
Church to help stabilize the religious climate of the Georgia colonies
and to evangelize the Indians.
Following a short and unsuccessful ministry in America, the
disillusioned Wesleys returned to England, where once again they came
under the influence of a group of devout Moravian believers meeting in
Aldersgate, London.
In May, 1738, both of these brothers had a spiritual heart-warming
experience, realizing that though they had been zealous in the
Churchs ministry, neither had ever personally accepted Christ as
Savior nor had known the joy of their religious faith as did their
Moravian friends.
From that time the Wesleys ministry took on a new dimension and
power.
Both John and Charles were endued with an indefatigable spirit,
usually working fifteen to eighteen hours each day. It is estimated
that they traveled a quarter of a million miles throughout Great
Britain, mostly on horseback, while conducting more than 40,000 public
services.
Charles alone wrote no less than 6,500 hymn texts, with hardly a day
or an experience passing without its crystallization into verse.
O For a Thousand Tongues was written in 1749 on the occasion of
Charless eleventh anniversary of his own Aldergate conversion
experience. It is thought to have been inspired by a chance remark by
Peter Bohler, an influential Moravian leader, who exclaimed:
Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise Christ Jesus with all of
them.
The hymn originally had nineteen stanzas and when published was
entitled, For the Anniversary Day of Ones Conversion.
Bible Verses
Revelation
5:11
- "I heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon
thousands.
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