Unwearied Earnestness

Representative Text

1 Father, I stretch my hands to Thee;
No other help I know.
If Thou withdraw Thyself from me,
Oh! whither shall I go?

2 What did Thine only Son endure,
Before I drew my breath!
What pain, what labor to secure
My soul from endless death!

3 Surely Thou canst not let me die;
Oh, speak and I shall live;
And here I will unwearied lie,
Till Thou Thy Spirit give.

4 Author of faith! to Thee I lift
My weary, longing eyes;
Oh, let me now receive that gift!
My soul without it dies.


Source: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism: an African American ecumenical hymnal #133

Author: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepene… Go to person page >

Father, I stretch my hands to Thee. C. Wesley. [Faith desired.] From Psalms & Hymns, 1741, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "A Prayer for Faith" (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. ii. p. 13). In 1760 M. Madan included 3 stanzas in his Collection, and thus introduced it into the Church of England. The altered text in the Wesleyan Hymn Book was given in the Supplement of that hymnal in 1830. Our authority for ascribing this hymn to C. Wesley with an expression of doubt is the following note by Dr. Osborn in the Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. ii. p. 8.

“The reader will observe that of the 160 hymns contained in this volume as originally published [Psalms & Hymns, 1741], more than 130 may be traced (by reference given above in brackets) to previous publications by other authors; and were merely selected, arranged, and more or less altered by Wesley. Only three of those which have been so treated have been reprinted here; viz. ‘Resignation,' ‘Submission,' and the first ‘Hymn to Christ.' The second with that title, together with ‘A Thought in Affliction,' ‘A Player for the Light of Life,' ‘A Prayer of Faith' [the above hymn], and ‘God's Love and Power,' are also reprinted, because they have not been identified in other collections, and may possibly be Wesley's."

The hymn is in several modem collections both in Great Britain and America.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Notes

Father, I stretch my hands to Thee. C. Wesley. [Faith desired.] From Psalms & Hymns, 1741, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "A Prayer for Faith" (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. ii. p. 13). In 1760 M. Madan included 3 stanzas in his Collection, and thus introduced it into the Church of England. The altered text in the Wesleyan Hymn Book was given in the Supplement of that hymnal in 1830. Our authority for ascribing this hymn to C. Wesley with an expression of doubt is the following note by Dr. Osborn in the Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. ii. p. 8.

“The reader will observe that of the 160 hymns contained in this volume as originally published [Psalms & Hymns, 1741], more than 130 may be traced (by reference given above in brackets) to previous publications by other authors; and were merely selected, arranged, and more or less altered by Wesley. Only three of those which have been so treated have been reprinted here; viz. ‘Resignation,' ‘Submission,' and the first ‘Hymn to Christ.' The second with that title, together with ‘A Thought in Affliction,' ‘A Player for the Light of Life,' ‘A Prayer of Faith' [the above hymn], and ‘God's Love and Power,' are also reprinted, because they have not been identified in other collections, and may possibly be Wesley's."

The hymn is in several modem collections both in Great Britain and America.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #1479
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  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (101 - 200 of 540)
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Devotional Melodies #165

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Dew Drops of Sacred Song #49b

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Dortch's Gospel Voices No. 1 #127

Down at the Cross #d65

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Echoes from Zion #123c

Enduring Hymns #d19

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Epworth Songs #118

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Evangelical Hymnal #243

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Exalted Praise #198

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Excellent Songs #99

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Fairer than Day (Enlarged Edition) #97

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Familiar Hymns for Social Meetings #39

Family and Social Melodies #d89

Favorite Gospel Songs. New ed. #d40

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Francis Murphy's Gospel Temperance Hymnal #89

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Free Methodist Hymnal #244

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Garden of Spices #210

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Garden of Spices #210

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Garnered Sheaves #58

Gates of Praise for the Worship of God and Use in His Service. Rev. ed. #d17

Gems of Sacred Song #d38

General Baptist Hymn Book #d135

Give Thanks and Sing, for Religious Meetings #d24

Give Thanks and Sing; for Religious Meetings #d32

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Give Thanks and Sing #80

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Gloria Deo #312

Glorious Gospel Hymns #557

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Glorious Praise #272

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Glorious Things in Sacred Song #G149a

Glorious Tidings #d29

Golden Sheaves No. 1 #d30

Good News in Song. Rev. ed. #d44

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Good News #131

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Gospel Hosannas #218

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Gospel Hymn and Tune Book #198

Gospel Jubilee and Soul Melodies #d6

Gospel Light #d48

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Gospel Melodies #260

Gospel Music #d32

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Gospel Music #127

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Gospel Pearls #112

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Gospel Songs #51a

Gospel Tent Hymns #d33

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Gospel Tent Hymns #45

Gospel Voices No.2 #d28

Hallowed Songs #d88

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Hallowed Songs #93

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Hallowed Songs #159

Happy Greetings to All #d65

Harmonia Ecclesiae #d59

Harmonia Sacra, being a Compilation of Church Music. 10th ed #d80

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Harmonia Sacra #83

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Harp of Zion #200

Heart and Life Songs #d26

Heart Melodies #d18

Heralds of Grace #d14

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His Praise #200

Holiness to the Lord #d34

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Honey Out of the Rock #99

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Honey Out of the Rock #99

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Hymn and Tune Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Round Note Ed.) #345

Hymn Book of the Colored M.E. Church in America #d130

Hymn Book of the Holiness Movement Church #d102

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South #345

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church #308

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (11th ed.) #308

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (2nd ed.) #579

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Hymn book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (4th ed.) #579

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Hymn Book of the United Evangelical Church #243

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Hymn-Book of the Evangelical Association #262

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #406

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #406

Hymnal, Church of the Brethren #d95

Hymnal #529

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Hymnal #188

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Hymns and Songs for Social and Sabbath Worship #294

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Hymns and Tunes for Prayer and Social Meetings #42

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Hymns and Tunes #199

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Hymns for All Christians #H19

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Hymns for all Christians #19

Hymns for Schools and Families #d130

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Hymns for Schools and Families, Specailly Designed for the Children of the Church #157

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth and Children #323

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth, and Children #323

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Hymns for the Camp. (3rd ed. rev. and enl.) #60

Hymns for the People for Services of Song in Christian Work #d37

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Hymns for the Sanctuary and Social Worship #491

Hymns for the Use of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Impr. ed. #d126

Hymns for the Use of the Brethren in Christ #d122

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Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. ed. #404

Hymns for Use in Divine Worship ... Seventh-Day Adventists #d279

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Hymns of Blessing for the Living Church #244

Hymns of Faith and Life #266

Hymns of Grace #339

Hymns of Hope #d36

Hymns of Salvation #d35

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Hymns of the Heart #133b

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Hymns of the Kingdom #120

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Hymns of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States, as authorized by the General Convention #304

Hymns of Victory #191

Pages

Exclude 518 pre-1979 instances
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