Page:Our Hymns.djvu/154

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134 OUR HYMNS :

familiar with German ; ancl this knowledge enabled him to enrich his collection with translations from Gerhard, Tersteegen, and Zinzendorf. The prominence of Charles in the department of hymn-writing may be judged by the fact that in the "Wesleyan Hymn Book," of 770 hymns 623 are by Charles Wesley, and the contributor next in respect to number, is not John, but Dr. Watts, who supplies 66 hymns.

The following is a list of the principal poetical works written by Charles or produced by him in conjunction with his brother, with the dates in most cases of the first edition of each work, marking its place in the life of the writer. We have taken pains to make the following list of works as accurate as possible. It is, in itself, a literary curiosity, and perhaps unparalleled in the history of hymn-making :

" A. Collection of Psalms and Hymns/ by John Wesley, London, 1738, the first collection of all ; "Hymns and Sacred Poems," different volumes in 1739, 1740, and 1742, and two additional volumes, with the same title, in 1749; "Hymns on God s Everlasting Love," by C. Wesley, 1741 ; " Elegy on the Death of Robert Jones, Esq.," by C. Wesley, 1742; a poem of about six hundred lines. Mr. Jones was a fellow-collegian with Charles Wesley, and a convert to Christ through the labours of the Methodists. " A Collection of Psalms and Hymns," first published by John Wesley, in 1741, and in later editions added to by Charles. " Hymns for the Watch Nights," by C.Wesley, about 1744 ; " Hymns on the Lord s Supper," by C. Wesley, 1745. To this work was prefixed a Spiritual treatise by a clergyman, Dr. Brevint, on " The Christian Sacrament and Sacrifice." The hymns are a kind of paraphrase of the treatise. This work had a great sale. " Hymns for Times of Trouble and Persecution," by C. Wesley, 1744 ; "Hymns for the Nativity of our Lord," by C. Wesley, second edition, 1745 ; " Hymns for those that seek and those that have found Redemption in the blood of Jesus Christ," by C. Wesley, 1746 ; " Hymns for our Lord s As cension," by J. and C. Wesley, 1746 ; " Hymns for our Lord s

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