The Unspeakable Gift

Representative Text

1 Happy the man who finds the grace,
The blessing of God's chosen race,
The wisdom coming from above,
The faith that sweetly works by love.

2 Wisdom divine! who tells the price
Of wisdom's costly merchandise?
Wisdom to silver we prefer,
And gold is dross compared to her.

3 Her hands are filled with length of days,
True riches, and immortal praise,
Riches of Christ on all bestowed,
And honour that descends from God.

4 To purest joys she all invites,
Chaste, holy, spiritual delights;
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her flowery paths are peace.

5 Happy the man who wisdom gains;
Thrice happy, who his guest retains;
He owns, and shall for ever own,
Wisdom, and Christ, and heaven, are one.

Source: Methodist Hymn and Tune Book: official hymn book of the Methodist Church #494

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 >

Notes

Happy the man who [that] finds the grace. C. Wesley. [Happiness in Forgiveness.] Appeared in Hymns for those that seek and those that have Redemption, &c, 1747, No. 18, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines, and based on Prov. iii. 13, &c. (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. iv. p. 234). In the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780, it was given with the omission of stanzas iv., v., viii., as "Happy the man that finds the grace.” Most of the forms of this hymn in use in Great Britain and America are based upon this text of 1780.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

HURSLEY

HURSLEY is a Protestant French Huguenot melody by an anonymous composer.

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BLOCKLEY


ANTWERP (Smallwood)


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #2142
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
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  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 125)
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A Choice Selection of Evangelical Hymns, from various authors #310

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A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #480

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A Collection of Hymns for the use of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in America #297

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A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #253

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A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #253

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A Collection of Hymns, for the Use of the People Called Methodists, with a Supplement #14

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A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the United Brethren in Christ #446

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A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America. #264

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A Collection of Hymns #L19

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A Collection of Hymns #253

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A Collection of Hymns #14

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship #279

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (10th ed.) #279

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) #279

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (3rd ed.) #279

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #279

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #279

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Sanctuary #462

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Use of Universalist Societies and Families 16ed. #448

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A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints #29

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A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints #17

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A Pocket hymn book, designed as a constant companion for the pious #CXXVII

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A Pocket Hymn Book #CXXVII

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A Pocket hymn-book, designed as a constant companion for the pious #CXXVII

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A Pocket Hymn-Book #CXXVII

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A Selection of Hymns & Psalms #216

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A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors. #291

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A Selection of Hymns #CCXCI

A. M. E. C. Hymnal #425

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African Methodist Episcopal hymn and tune book #154

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Baptist Hymn Book #a338

Canadian Sabbath-School Hymn Book #d95

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David's Companion #18b

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Deutsches Lieder- und Melodienbuch #a387

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Free Methodist Hymnal #252

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Harmonia Sacra #52

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Hymn and Tune Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Round Note Ed.) #396

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South #396

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church #524

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (11th ed.) #524

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (2nd ed.) #683

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Hymn book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (4th ed.) #683

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #329

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #329

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Hymnal #154

Hymns and Psalms #674a

Hymns and Psalms #674b

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Hymns and Songs #182

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Hymns and Tunes #387

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Hymns for All Christians #L30

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Hymns for all Christians #230

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Hymns for Christian Melody #509

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Hymns for Public Worship #475

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Hymns for Schools and Families, Specailly Designed for the Children of the Church #191

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Hymns for Social Worship #37

Hymns for Sunday Schools, Selected from Various Authoors #d83

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth and Children #226

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth, and Children #226

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Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. ed. #297

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Hymns Recommended for use in the Reformed Episcopal Church #92

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Hymns selected from various authors #222

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Indian Melodies #28b

Indian Melodies #28b

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Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #494

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Methodist Hymn-Book #340

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New Hymn and Tune book #137b

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New Hymn and Tune Book #137b

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Praise and Promise #228

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Precious Gems No. 1 #57

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Sacred Hymns and Spiritual Songs #31

Singing the Faith #500

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Songs of Pilgrimage #706

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Songs of the Soul #95

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The Advent Harp; designed for believers in the speedy coming of Christ #73a

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The African Methodist Episcopal Hymn and Tune Book #154

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The Baptist Hymn Book #338

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The Baptist Psalmody #812

The Canadian Hymnal #157

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The Canadian Hymnal #157

The Canadian Hymnal #157

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The Choice #H62

The Choice #H62

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The Christian Melodist #165

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The Christian Psalmist #408

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #2142

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The Gospel Psalmist #314

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The Harp #14

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The Harp. 2nd ed. #a14

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The Heart and Voice #71b

Pages

Exclude 121 pre-1979 instances
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