Charlews Wesley: The Eloquent Poet PODCAST EDITION

Show Notes

From Pastor Dave:

his summer my devotions have featured Charles Wesley the poet. It has been noted that Charles wrote around 9,000 poems containing nearly 180,000 lines. Yes, some of these became hymns but the vast majority were never put to music or meant to be sung. Charles Wesley understandably is recognized as one of the great hymnists, but seldom is he included among the great English poets.
Frank Baker, Professor of English Church History at Duke Divinity School is quick to point out the gifts and skills of Wesley, and the eloquence of his poetry. He cites that the vast volume of Charles work means that he on occasion pens only average verses .For example Charles might pen as many as thirty verses for a hymn or poem which John would edit down to four to six verses to be published.
Baker notes the many times where Charles displays sheer inspiration, as in the case of “Father of Everlasting Grace”