O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing

O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing was written in 1739 by Charles Wesley. He wrote the hymn to commemorate the first anniversary of his conversion to Christ in 1738. The tune that we sing it to today was written in 1828 by Carl Gothoff Gläser. Today it is sung commonly as a missional hymn, usually including only 5 or so verses of this very long hymn.

I appreciate this hymn as both what it was written as and what we sing it as today. It truly is a missional hymn, because the rational response to Christ breaking the power of sin over us is to reach out to others still in bondage to sin and share with them the good news. It should be our hope that a thousand tongues that would otherwise have not sung our great Redeemer's praise would do so because of our faithfulness to God's call.

I have included a video with a much longer version of the song and many more verses than most people are familiar with. The first five verses are the ones that are sung most commonly in churches today, and they describe Christ's glory and call all to join in praising him regardless of physical infirmity or past sin. The next two verses identify the reality for those who seek Christ, that he shall fill us with the knowledge that our sins are forgiven and surround us with the community of the Church. The next five verses describe Wesley's own experience of conversion. Finally, the last six verses issue a challenge to the world: "Look to Christ and be saved!" The verses convey a very powerful reminder that no one is beyond the redemptive power of Christ. I have left off the last three verses of the hymn in the video mostly because they do not fit the tune very well because of their multisyllabic words and not-even-slant rhyme.

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and king,
The triumphs of His grace!

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 power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.

He speaks, and, listening to His voice,
New life the dead receive,
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
The humble poor believe.

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.

 ~~~~~

In Christ your head, you then shall know,
Shall feel your sins forgiven;
Anticipate your heaven below,
And own that love is heaven.

Glory to God, and praise and love
Be ever, ever given,
By saints below and saints above,
The church in earth and Heaven.

 ~~~~~

On this glad day the glorious sun
Of righteousness arose;
On my benighted soul He shone
And filled it with repose.

Sudden expired the legal strife,
’Twas then I ceased to grieve;
My second, real, living life
I then began to live.

Then with my heart I first believed,
Believed with faith divine,
Pow'r with the Holy Ghost received
To call the Savior mine.

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!

I found and owned His promise true,
Ascertained of my part,
My pardon passed in heaven I knew
When written on my heart.

 ~~~~~

Look unto Him, ye nations, own
Your God, ye fallen race;
Look, and be saved through faith alone,
Be justified by grace.

See all your sins on Jesus laid:
The Lamb of God was slain,
His soul was once an offering made
For every soul of man.

Awake from guilty nature’s sleep,
And Christ shall give you light,
Cast all your sins into the deep,
And wash the sinner white.

 ~~~~~

Harlots and publicans and thieves
In holy triumph join!
Saved is the sinner that believes
From crimes as great as mine.

Murderers and all ye hellish crew
In holy triumph join!
Believe the Savior died for you;
For me the Savior died.

With me, your chief, ye then shall know,
Shall feel your sins forgiven;
Anticipate your heaven below,
And own that love is heaven.

 

(Public Domain)