“Jesus, Lover of My Soul”: Charles Wesley’s hymn of refuge in the storm

The hymn begins in a storm. “Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.” Charles Wesley, the great hymn writer of early Methodism, published these words in 1740. For nearly three centuries, people facing danger, grief and fear have sung them as a prayer for shelter.

Charles Wesley and the storm

Charles Wesley was born in 1707, the brother of John Wesley, founder of Methodism. He experienced a spiritual conversion in May 1738, days before John’s own experience at Aldersgate. Charles went on to write more than 6,000 hymns. “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” appeared in Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1740. Its original title was “In Temptation”. The opening verse pictures the soul tossed on stormy waters, asking Christ to “hide me, O my Saviour, hide, till the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.”

No other refuge and the tunes

The second verse declares dependence on Christ alone: “Other refuge have I none; hangs my helpless soul on thee.” It is a prayer of total trust. The later verses describe Christ as a fountain: “Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin.” The hymn moves from fear to confidence. Several stories claim to explain the hymn’s origin, such as a bird flying into Wesley’s room to escape a hawk. Historians consider these legends unproven.

The hymn is sung to several tunes. In Wales and many Methodist churches, it is sung to Aberystwyth by Joseph Parry. Other tunes include Hollingside and Refuge.

Methodism in Africa and a hymn for the sick

Methodist missionaries brought Wesley’s hymns to the Gold Coast, Nigeria and southern Africa. “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” is sung in Methodist churches across Ghana in English and Fante. The hymn is often chosen for funerals and times of crisis because of its honest description of fear and its prayer for safety. Charles Wesley’s hymns, including “And Can It Be” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, shaped Protestant worship around the world.

The hymn is often sung at sickbeds. Wesley wrote “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” while still young in his faith. Its storm has been real for every generation that has sung it since.