God of my life, Whose gracious power. G. Wesley. [Lent—In Temptation.] First published in Hymns & Sacred Poems, 1740, in 15 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed, "At the Approach of Temptation" (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. i. p. 322). From it the following centos have come into common use:—
1. The Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1180, No. 280 (new edition 1875, No. 289), which is composed of stanzas i., ii., v., vi., ix., xi., xiv., xv. This is in several Methodist collections.
2. The New Congregational Hymn Book, 1859, No. 665, consisting of stanzas i., ii., v., vi., ix.
3. Kennedy, 1863, No. 180, consisting of stanzas i., ii., vi., ix., xi., xiv.
4. The Leeds Hymn Book, 1853, No. 241, consisting of stanzas i., ii., ix., xi., xiv. This is repeated in the Hymns of the Spirit, Boston, U.S.A., 1864; the Unitarian Hymn [and Tune] Book, Boston, 1868, and other American collections.
Of these four centos the last is the most widely used. In his Methodist Hymn Book Notes, 1883, p. 218, Mr. Stevenson has an interesting anecdotal note on the Wesleyan Hymn Book cento.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepene… Go to person page >
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