Oh For A Thousand Tongues To Sing

This week’s devotional song comes from Charles Wesley, one of the most well-known hymn writers of all time. Matt Boswell (His Mercy Is More, Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery) said in a Q&A that Wesley was the “poet laureate” of the church. With well over 5,000 hymn titles to his name, you’d be hard-pressed to say you’ve never heard or sung his work.

Over the years, the original 18 stanzas have been reduced to 4-6 depending on the hymnal. What has remained to this day, almost 300 years from when it was written (1739), is a great hymn that encompasses the work of Christ in our personal lives.

Oh for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise
The glories of my God and King
The triumphs of His grace

What we know as the first stanza was originally written as the 7th. You see, this hymn was written on the anniversary of Wesley’s evangelical conversion. With this history in hand, the song begins to come to life in a new way. That’s true for me anyway. Not being a student of poetry, I often miss some of the nuance of hymns which is one of the reasons I write these devotionals. They are for me as much as I write them for you.

“Oh for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer’s praise”. That line originally comes from a German hymn written prior to Wesley’s, “Oh That I Had A Thousand Voices”. When Peter Böhler, a Moravian contemporary of Wesley’s, shared that translation with Wesley, he said it this way. “If I had a thousand tongues, I would praise Christ with them all”.

You know the feeling you get when you discover something new? Something so great and revolutionary that you just cannot contain your exuberance and have to tell everyone? If you have children, just think of the joy and impatience they have when they learn something new and exciting and can’t take another breath without telling you about it. That is what Wesley is conveying through these lyrics. That irrepressible, joyful knowledge of Christ’s work in us is what this song is about.

My gracious Master and my God
Assist me to proclaim
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name

Jesus the name that charms our fears
That bids our sorrows cease
‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears
‘Tis life and health and peace

He breaks the pow’r of canceled sin
He sets the pris’ner free
His blood can make the foulest clean
His blood availed for me

He speaks and list’ning to His voice
New life the dead receive
The mournful broken hearts rejoice
The humble poor believe

Glory to God and praise and love
Be ever, ever giv’n
By saints below and saints above
The church in earth and heav’n

This last stanza was actually the first in the original writing of this hymn. You cannot miss Wesley’s joy and exuberance throughout the original version. If you’re interested in reading it, you can find it here. https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/o-for-a-thousand-tongues-to-sing-18-original-stanzas

For me, one of the best parts of this song isn’t included in any of the modern versions. It’s a stanza that has been omitted for decades, even centuries. It’s the original 5th stanza, which makes this song personal and authentic. Let this sink in, and let it be the foundation of your voice.

I felt my Lord’s atoning blood
close to my soul applied;
me, me he loved, the Son of God,
for me, for me he died!