Works of John Wesley: A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists (Works of John Wesley, Vol 7)

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Summary: Greatest Hymnal Since the Psalter
Review: Wesley's "Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists" is easily one of the greatest hymn books of all time. Along with the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer, it is one of the glories of the English-speaking church. A simple glance at the table of contents shows the sensitivity which went into the hymn book, as the section titles present a virtual spiritual biography: it begins with hymns "Exhorting Sinners to Return to God", then describes the "Pleasantness of Religion", and its corollary, the four last things (death, judgment, hell heaven), then hymns of repentence and "for mourners convinced of sin", as well as hymns for backsliders. Finally, we come to hymns for believers, in their various struggles and joys: fighting, praying, watching, working, suffering, seeking full redemption, saved, and at last, interceding for the world. Although not included in the first edition, modern editions carry an additional "supplement" of psalms and hymns of praise. The hymns themselves include some of the best-loved hymns of the church, from hymn 1, "O for a thousand tongues to sing / My great redeemer's praise" to "Hark the herald angels sing", "Love divine, all loves excelling", and "When I survey the wondrous cross". But it also includes a number of gems that haven't made it into many modern hymn books. A few random examples: "Extended on a cursed tree / Besmeared with dust and sweat and blood / See there, the king of glory see / Sinks and expires the Son of God" (hymn 23), "Shepherd of souls, with pitying eyes / The thousands of our Israel see / To Thee in their behalf we cry / Ourselves but newly found in thee" (hymn 82), "O that I could revere / My much-offended God! / O that I could but stand in fear / Of thy afflicting rod! / If mercy cannot draw, / Thou by thy threatenings move, / And keep an abject soul in awe, / That will not yield to love" (hymn 103). Nearly every one of the 1026 hymns in the collection has something to offer, and taken in their order, they form a full body of practical divinity. The only problem I have with the book is its sometimes militant Arminianism, but Calvinists have never had problems using most of the hymns (sometimes with minor changes). Franz Hildebrandt's edition is a scholarly edition, not suited for the pew, but a valuable work for anyone wishing to study these hymns. It includes sidenotes indicating scriptural, patristic, and literary allusions in the hymns, and has an illuminating introduction. Unfortunately, the book is text-only, and doesn't include any of the great tunes in the Handel tradition which complement these hymns so well.