The thing my God doth hate. C. Wesley. [Holiness Desired.] This cento was given in the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780, No. 331, in 3 stanzas of 8 lines, and is composed of No. 1240 as stanza i., and 1232 as stanzas ii., iii. of his Short Hymns on Selected Passages of Holy Scripture, 1762, vol. ii. (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. x., Nos. 1362, and 1354). Several times it has been pointed out that the line (stanza iii., line 5) "Soul of my soul, remain!" is evidently taken from Sir Richard Blackmore's "Ode to the Divine Being," where we have the same expression thus:—
"Blest object of my love intense,
I Thee my Joy, my Treasure call,
My Portion, my Reward immense,
Soul of my soul, my Life, my All."
One can hardly think that this is accidental. This hymn is in several collections in Great Britain and America.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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 >
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