HAPPY 303RD BIRTHDAY, CHARLES WESLEY

   He was born on a Sunday, on the eighteenth day of the month of December, in the  year of our Lord 1707, under the name of Charles Wesley, in Epworth, Lincolnshire, to a Samuel and Susanna Wesley.  He was one of nineteen children in his family.  He and his younger brother, John, would later become known as leaders of the English Methodist movement.
   Charles is mostly known by today's Evangelical Christian for his many hymns that he wrote.  On of those pieces is probably one of the most heard Christian hymns heard at this time of the year, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sings".

Hark! The herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!

Refrain

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Refrain

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Refrain

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Refrain

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

Refrain