Charles Wesley - Rock of Ages

screamingeagle · Post by **screamingeagle** » Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:01 am

Looking for the rest of of the poem.

Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
While the...?... waters roll,
While the tempest still is high,
Hide me, oh, my Saviour, hide,
Till the storms of life is past,
Safe into thy bosom climb...

songinmyheart · Post by **songinmyheart** » Fri Jan 17, 2014 3:00 pm

Hi screamingeagle,
Here are the lyrics.
You might find this link interesting
http://www.hymnary.org/text/rock_of_age ... et_me_hide

Rock of Ages

Rock of ages, cleft for me
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

screamingeagle · Post by **screamingeagle** » Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:13 pm

Thank you for the lyrics. I was looking into the difference between the Toplady version which you provided and the Wesley version. Dr. Benson called attention to the fact that Toplady may have plagiarized the Wesley lyircs which was written 30 years ealier.

songinmyheart · Post by **songinmyheart** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 3:01 am

Do you know anything about these lyrics?
Have you run across this version in your studies?

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
I am hidden safe in Thee:
Hidden here from all my foes,
None can harm though all oppose;
For though justice once condemned,
Love did this blest shelter send.

Who aught to my charge shall lay,
Hidden in this Rock alway?
Love did for my sin atone;
I shall live through Christ alone.
I need fear no evil thing
While by simple faith I cling.

Could my tears forever flow,
Could my zeal no languor know,
These for sin could not atone;
Thou hast saved and Thou alone.
In my hand no price I bring;
Simply to Thy cross I cling.

screamingeagle · Post by **screamingeagle** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:08 am

No, I hadn't seen that. Thank you.
I don't have any other verses, other than the one on the intial post.

Bensen (1911) references a paragraph in the preface on Wesley's Hymns on the Lord's Supper that read. "O Rock of Israel, Rock of Salvation, Rock struck for me, let those two streams of blood and Water which one gushed out of Thy side, bring down Pardon and Holiness into my soul. And let me thirst after them now, as if I stood upon the Mountain whence sprang this Water; and near the Cleft of that Rock, the Wounds of my Lord, whence gushed this Scared Blood.

The inspirational story is;
As the story of Charles Wesley, on his retreat down by the seaside one day, he had a little shack. He was studying. The Lord led him down there. He was studying. Oh, God was moving on him, for a song. And he couldn't--he couldn't get nothing to start on. He would start on something, the inspiration would leave him. So he went walking down along the seashore, listening at the waves, and thought he could find some inspiration, the waves lapping. All at once, a storm came up.
Nothing happens by chance. Everything is ordained of God. No matter what happens, all things are going to work together for good.

And he started towards his little cabin. When he did, the winds got to blowing. He thought, "Oh, I'll be blown off this, the--the shore, before I get there." And he pulled up his coat, and started run, and something flew into his bosom. He looked back, and it was a little sparrow, come for refuge. He just held it in his bosom until the storm was over, and the sun come out. He set the little fellow upon his finger, and he let him fly away. And he flew away, and then the inspiration struck him.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
147 Oh, I like that! Rock of Ages, that Rock in a weary land, a Shelter in the time of storm. See? That Rock in a weary land, hide Thou me. Hide me, O Rock of Ages, cleft for me. The great inspired writers of the songs and the things that we so enjoy today!

steve · Post by **steve** » Sun Jan 19, 2014 6:07 am

Hi screamingeagle,

I think most of the lyrics in your original post are from Charles Wesley's "Jesus, Lover of My Soul":

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high:
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide
Till the storm of life is past,
Safe into the haven guide,
O, receive my soul at last!

Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, ah, leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me:
All my trust on thee is stayed,
All my help from thee I bring;
Cover my defenceless head
With the shadow of thy wing.

Wilt thou not regard my call?
Wilt thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall!
Lo! on thee I cast my care!
Reach me out thy gracious hand
While I of thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand,
Dying, and behold I live!

Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
More than all in thee I find:
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick and lead the blind!
Just and holy is thy name;
I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am,
Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound,
Make and keep me pure within:
Thou of life the fountain art;
Freely let me take of thee,
Spring thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity!

Toplady as a young man was actually a follower of John Wesley (Charles Wesley's son). But after Toplady converted to Calvinism, he and John Wesley had a rather nasty falling out--to the point where they were even trading insults. You can read more about that here

https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.o ... -you-know/

But it's interesting that when Toplady published his own hymnal in 1776, he put his own version of "Rock of Ages" next to Charles Wesley's "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" . Interestingly, by 1919, it looks like some hymnals such as this one took Wesley's lyrics for "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" and set to it the refrain of Toplady's "Rock of Ages" (since both are 77.77.D), which may have been what has linked the two in some circles.

http://www.hymnary.org/hymn/CD1894/37

As for the alleged plagiarism, that's referring to Charles Wesley's "Rock of Israel" that Wesley wrote when Toplady was a small child--this is the poem you mention in your post above that starts "O Rock of Israel..."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-london/plain/A676307

The BBC is a little more generous to Toplady than Dr. Benson, saying this may not have been outright plagiarism but rather just something that stuck in the memory of Toplady and inspired him later in life as he walked along a gorge in Burrington Combe in England and had to take shelter in a nearby cave during a rainstorm. Perhaps it was a combination of both.

Toplady's lyrics themselves were even subject to changes over the years.

Here are the lyrics the BBC lists:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in Thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy riven side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
cleanse me from its guilt and power.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfil thy law's demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

When my pilgrimage I close,
Victor o'er the last of foes,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
and behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in Thee.

A hymnal from the Church of Ireland from 1894 lists these as the lyrics:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in Thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy riven side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
cleanse me from its guilt and power.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfil thy law's demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring;
Simply to Thy Cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for free;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly--
Wash me, Saviour, or I die!

While I draw this fleeting breath;
When my eyelids close in deah,
When I soar to tracts unknown
See Thee on Thy judgment throne--
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!

And here's a version from an Episcopal hymnal from 1872:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in Thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy side, a healing flood,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath, and make me pure.

Should my tears forever flow,
Should my zeal no languor know,
All for sin could not atone,
Thou must save and Thou alone;
In my hand no price I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling.

While I draw this fleeting breath;
When mine eyelids close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne--
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!

What's interesting is that over the years, editors seem to have introduced their own "improvements" to the hymn, sometimes for stylistic reasons, sometimes for theological ones. But despite wording changes, the main message of the hymn itself is firmly rooted in eternal truth, and I think that's the reason it's remained so powerful to this day.

Thanks for the question--it's been fascinating to dig a little more into the history of this hymn