Wesley Corpus

Last updated: 5 February 2010. Intercession Hymns (1759)1 Baker list, 231 Editorial Introduction: The Seven Year's War (1756-63) engulfed most of Europe, with Prussia joining Britain as allies against France, Russia, Austria, Sweden and others. While the British and Prussian forces enjoyed some initial encouraging victories, things took a negative turn in the first half of 1759. Frederick the Great and the Prussian forces suffered some severe defeats and there was growing fear of a French invasion of England. In this context Charles Wesley published just before midyear a small pamphlet of four Hymns of Intercession for the Kingdom of England. Unlike the earlier Intercession Hymns (1758), which covered a wide range of concerns, these hymns all pleaded for God's intervention and protection of Britain in this dangerous hour. The hymns were clearly rushed into print, because when Charles incorporated them into a larger set of Invasion Hymns in July 1759, he revised them much more than was typical of his other collections. Edition: Charles Wesley. Hymns of Intercession for the Kingdom of England. np 1759. Table of Contents Part I Part II Part III Part IV Page 2 2A manuscript copy of this first hymn is present in the Methodist Archives and Research Centre of The John Ryland University Library (MA 1977/583/32, 6). It contains only one variant, that is noted below. Part I.2 Let God, the mighty God, The Lord of hosts arise, With terror clad, with strength endu'd, And rent, and bow the skies! Call'd down by faithful prayer, Saviour, appear below, Thy hand lift up, thine arm make bare, And quell thy church's foe. Our refuge in distress, In danger's darkest hour, Appear as in the antient days With full redeeming power; That thy redeem'd may sing In glad triumphant strains, The Lord is God, the Lord is King, The Lord for ever reigns. We with our ears have heard, Our fathers us have told The work that in their days appear'd, And in the times of old; The mighty wonders wrought By heaven in their defence, When Jacob's God for Britain fought, And chas'd th' invaders hence. Vainly invincible, Their fleets the seas did hide,