Thirty-seven-year-old Charles Wesley read his bible, as the remembrance of Deity’s arrival in-the-flesh approached one year in 18th Century England (see its flag here). Lots of prophets had given clues for centuries about this singular event, and so Charles leaned on those to craft his poetry, while also quite possibly borrowing the thoughts of a century-old philosopher’s inspirational words about how God uniquely works in the human heart. The circumstances of many of the orphaned children in the surrounding English community were apparently also on his mind, so Charles borrowed the words of a prayer that he felt expressed his sense of how one special child’s life could raise the lives of others who were not so fortunate. Whether Charles or some other anonymous person first uttered this prayer, it speaks for all of us.
Charles Wesley authored at least 18 Christmas songs that were collected into one publication (Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord and New Year’s Day, 1745), including ‘Come…Jesus’, a prayer-poem that Charles used to celebrate not just the arrival of the Jesus-babe, but also to create expectation for His return someday. Especially what Haggai (2:7) had to say about the ‘desire of nations’ helped spur Charles’ poetry. But, he was likely reading lots of Isaiah’s, and Micah’s, and Matthew’s, and Luke’s writings, also, among others. Was Ecclesiastes (3:11) in there too, as he mentions humanity finding ‘rest in thee’? It’s thought that Wesley might have read something from the philosopher Blaine Pascal, who said a century earlier that ‘There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every person that cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator’…was Pascal thus also aware of what the preacher said in Ecclesiastes? Verse two of Charles’ poem is a prayer, uttered by either himself or someone in his time, and is worth repeating here: ‘Born Your people to deliver, born a child and yet a King, born to reign in us forever, now Your gracious kingdom bring. By Your own eternal Spirit, rule in all our hearts alone; by Your all sufficient merit, raise us to Your glorious throne. Amen.’ Finally, Wesley was said to be dismayed by the state of orphans in his community, and also by the rift between classes of people of his time, and that this prayer resonated with him as he thought about a time and place where all peoples would be lifted above earth’s trials. Nothing hurts in a human life more than to experience want or conflict on a holiday that is supposed to embody joy. Seems like Charles understood that, huh?
Jesus arrived, some might say unexpectedly. He was anticipated by prophets, and yet He took most people by surprise because of the venue He chose. And, that He is supposed to be returning creates even more hope, at least for those who want Him to recreate everything again. What will it be like, this New Heaven and New Earth (Isaiah 65-66; 2 Peter 3; Revelation 21)? It’s almost beyond imagination’s power, and certainly cannot be adequately described, even with scores of adjectives. It will have to be seen and experienced. Jesus said the time is known by only His Father (Mark 13:32), so there will be something about it that takes everyone by surprise. You and I need not fret about that time and its uncertainty, for the good that He created in the beginning will be His to remake in ‘imperishable’ and ‘immortal’ fashion (1 Cor. 15:53-54), in a flash (v.52). In one sense He will be expected, but I long to be thrilled, flabbergasted, swallowed up, and speechless at seeing His amazing return. Are you ready to be astonished?
See more information on the song story in these sources: The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs by William J. Petersen and Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006; Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications, 1990.
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