For you make me glad by your deeds O,Lord Psalm 92:4

• DAY 18 MORNING PSALM 90-92

• DAY 18 EVENING PSALM 93-94

‘Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley became the recognized song-writer of the Evangelical Revival and his hymns supplied a vehicle by which the converts might express their new-found joy in the Lord. But Charles Wesley was not only a song-writer: he was also a preacher of exceptional power. With the Gospel burning like a fire in his heart he threw himself as enthusiastically and energetically as his brother into the glad work of proclaiming the Gospel of salvation in open air services up and down the land.

Nowhere was the transforming power of the Gospel more strikingly witnessed than in these open-air services. At Kingswood colliery, Bristol, the miners gathered in their thousands, and as they listened to the message of God’s redeeming love, tears of penitence and gratitude made white furrows down their coal-stained faces.

John Wesley described the change which took place in their lives. “Kingswood does not now, as a year ago, resound with cursing and blasphemy. It is no more filled with drunkenness and uncleanness, and the idle diversions that naturally lead thereto. It is no longer full of wars and fightings, of clamour and bitterness, of wrath and envyings: peace and love are there. Great numbers of the people are mild, gentle, and easy to be entreated. They ‘do not cry, neither strive,’ and hardly is their ‘voice heard in the streets,’ or, indeed, in their own wood; unless when they are at their usual evening diversion, singing praise unto God their Saviour.” 'Charles Wesley composed hymns to sing God’s praise and one hymn which he wrote specially for these Kingswood colliers illustrates the transforming experience which was theirs in Christ:



Thou only, Lord, the work hast done,

And bated Thine arm in all our sight; 


Hast made the reprobates Thine own,

And claimed the outcasts as Thy right.'

• You have made us glad by all you have done, powerfully on our behalf Lord, rescuing us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Just as you stirred those Kingswood colliers over 250 years ago, stir us again. As white furrows streamed down coal-stained faces let tears of penitence and gratitude flow again. Transform our streets from places of drunkenness and uncleanness into places of praise and thankfulness to you, ONCE AGAIN. Open up the wells of salvation we pray O Lord.

REFERENCES http://churchsociety.org/issues_new/history/wesleychas/iss_history_wesleychas_Colquhoun-evangelist.asp

The Hymn Book of the Modern Church, 194.

Wesley, J. Journal, November 27, 1739 , Vol 1, 251