The Unspeakable Gift

Representative Text

1 Happy the man who finds the grace,
The blessing of God's chosen race,
The wisdom coming from above,
The faith that sweetly works by love.

2 Wisdom divine! who tells the price
Of wisdom's costly merchandise?
Wisdom to silver we prefer,
And gold is dross compared to her.

3 Her hands are filled with length of days,
True riches, and immortal praise,
Riches of Christ on all bestowed,
And honour that descends from God.

4 To purest joys she all invites,
Chaste, holy, spiritual delights;
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her flowery paths are peace.

5 Happy the man who wisdom gains;
Thrice happy, who his guest retains;
He owns, and shall for ever own,
Wisdom, and Christ, and heaven, are one.

Source: Methodist Hymn and Tune Book: official hymn book of the Methodist Church #494

Author: Charles Wesley

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 >

Notes

Happy the man who [that] finds the grace. C. Wesley. [Happiness in Forgiveness.] Appeared in Hymns for those that seek and those that have Redemption, &c, 1747, No. 18, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines, and based on Prov. iii. 13, &c. (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. iv. p. 234). In the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780, it was given with the omission of stanzas iv., v., viii., as "Happy the man that finds the grace.” Most of the forms of this hymn in use in Great Britain and America are based upon this text of 1780.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

HURSLEY

HURSLEY is a Protestant French Huguenot melody by an anonymous composer.

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QUEBEC (Baker)

Henry Baker (b. Nuneham, Oxfordshire, England, 1835; d. Wimbledon, England, 1910; not to be confused with Henry W. Baker) was educated as a civil engineer at Winchester and Cooper's Hill and was active in railroad building in India. In 1867 he completed a music degree at Exeter College, Oxford, Engl…

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APES


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #2142
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Instances

Instances (101 - 125 of 125)
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The Hymn Book of the African Methodist Episcopal Church #555

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The Hymn Book of the Free Methodist Church #199

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The Melodeon #135

The Methodist Hymn-Book with Tunes #360

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The Methodist Hymnal (Text only edition) #372

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The Methodist Hymnal #372

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The Methodist Pocket Hymn-book, revised and improved #CXLV

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The New Canadian Hymnal #273

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The New Hymn Book #158

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The Psalmody #1190

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The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts #1009

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The Reformed Methodist Pocket Hymnal #I.114

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The Tribute of Praise and Methodist Protestant Hymn Book #30

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The Tribute of Praise #30

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The Tribute of Praise #30

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The Virginia Selection of Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #322

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The Wesleyan Methodist Hymnal #252

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The Wesleyan Minstrel #70

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The Wesleyan Psalmist, or Songs of Canaan #87

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The Woman's Hymnal #31

Village Hymns #229

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Village hymns for social worship, selected and original #229

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Village hymns for social worship, selected and original #229

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Village Hymns for Social Worship, Selected and Original #229

Pages

Exclude 121 pre-1979 instances
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