The main things that Wesley has to say we still want to say.

There have been other writers of dogmatic hymns…there have been other writers of hymns revealing a personal experience of religion… there have been other writers of mystical religious poetry…It is Wesley’s glory that he united these three strains-dogma, experience, mysticism-in verse so simple that it could be understood, and so smooth that it could be used by plain everyday people…

These three qualities, among others, give such a life to the hymns that they can never grow old while Christians experinece God’s grace…    {The Hymns of Wesley and Watts. Bernard L. Manning. 1944. Epworth, London} 

Charles Wesley 1707-88

  Victim Divine, Thy grace we claim,                                                                     

Victim Divine, Thy grace we claim, While thus Thy precious death we show:  Once offer’d up a spotless Lamb.  In Thy great temple here below, Thou didst for humankind atone, And standest now before the throne.

 Thou standest in the holy place, As now for guilty sinners slain; Thy blood of sprinkling speaks, and prays, All prevalent for helpless flesh; Thy blood is still our ransom found, And speaks salvation all around.

 The smoke of Thy atonement here Darken’d the sun, and rent the veil, Made the new way to heaven appear, And show’d the great invisible; Well pleased in Thee, our God look’d down, And calls His rebels to a crown.

 He still respects Thy sacrifice; Its savour sweet doth always please: Thy offering smokes through earth and skies, Diffusing life, and joy, and peace; To these, Thy lower courts, it comes, And fills them with divine perfumes.

we need not now go up to heaven, To bring the long -sought saviour down;Thou art to all already given, Thou dost even now Thy banquet crown: To every faithful soul appear, And show Thy real presence here!