A Charge to Keep I Have
Charles Wesley's famous short hymn is rare in that it was based on words of a commentary. His words inspire us to keep focused on our calling as priests in the kingdom of God.
Welcome to another Friday Classic Hymn. Today we're going to look at another Wesley classic. I've covered quite a few Wesley hymns already in this series—you might want to go have a look at some of those.
I looked at this one because when I was examining a list of Wesley's hymns, this is one of the most published hymns that he wrote. I've never heard it myself, so I had to go and learn it. I've discovered that there are all sorts of different tunes that it can be sung to, so I'm going to sing two of them later. It's a fascinating little short hymn which has a theme that is perhaps not as often sung about as others.
Do you know this one? I asked a few Methodist friends of mine if they knew it, and they said yes, this is one of the great old ones, but we don't sing it much anymore. Do you still sing the song, or have you encountered "A Charge to Keep I Have"? Share your thoughts, your memories, your impressions of the song in the comments below, please. Subscribe to the channel if you haven't already—it would be very helpful. Let me share with you the history behind another Friday Classic.
The Story Behind "A Charge to Keep I Have"
This is another Charles Wesley hymn. I've covered his story in more detail in my previous Wesley videos, but the short version is that he was one of the great figureheads of the Methodist movement in the 18th century. His brother John Wesley was perhaps more famous because he was the real clergyman travelling around setting up churches and overseeing the Methodists as a whole. But his brother Charles was the great hymn writer—called by some the greatest hymn writer of all time. He wrote so many hymns and had such a gift for wording and for poetry that his hymns really make a fascinating study.
The Methodist hymn book has always been a big part of Methodism. In fact, when the Wesleys published their hymn book in 1780, have a look at what John wrote in the introduction:
"Large enough to contain all the important truths of our most holy religion. In what other publication of this time have you so full and distinct an account of scriptural Christianity, such a declaration of the heights and depths of religion speculative and practical, so strong cautions against the most plausible errors, and so clear directions for making our calling and election sure, for perfecting holiness in the fear of God?"
So the Methodist hymn book has always been a big part of Methodist faith, and the hymns that Charles (and one or two that John) wrote have been so influential in teaching the people the Wesleys' theology. In fact, some people would say that the success of the Methodist movement was largely due to the great hymns that were written, which taught the people the theology of Methodism in relatable ways through music rather than just through sermons.
This one has got a bit of an interesting story because it is one of the few—if only—hymns that were based more on a commentary than on the words of the scripture itself. Charles Wesley was reading Matthew Henry's commentary on Leviticus, and his words of this hymn are almost completely lifted from Henry's commentary.
In Leviticus 8, God is busy explaining through Moses the roles of the priests, the duties of the priests of the day. This is part of a consecration ritual that was commanded by God for those priests. Moses sprinkles them and anoints them and shares with them these words of God that say you've got to do this so that you don't die.
In his commentary on this, this is what Matthew Henry wrote—and the words that Wesley used for his hymn:
"We have every one of us a charge to keep, an eternal God to glorify, an immortal soul to provide for, needful duty to be done, our generation to serve. It must be our daily care to keep this charge, for it is the charge of the Lord our Master, who will shortly call us to an account about it, and it is at our peril if we neglect it. Keep it that ye die not"—which is from that text at the bottom in verse 36—"It is death, eternal death, to betray the trust we are charged with."
So Wesley read this and was very inspired for his own life of service to God. Remember, we're all priests now in the eyes of God. The office of priest in that sense is now over. Christ has done the work that the old priests had to do and now made each one of us a priest, so that we all have a charge to keep. The words in the song sum it up so nicely.
It's very unusual for a great hymn to be written more on the words of a commentary than on the words of scripture itself, but the words are biblical and the concepts are biblical. Let's take a look at his very short hymn and see what we can learn from his lyrics.
What Do the Lyrics of "A Charge to Keep I Have" Mean?
Wesley originally wrote this in two stanzas of eight lines each, although we sing it now in four stanzas of four lines each.
Verse 1: Our Calling to Glorify God and Save Souls
He begins with these words: "A charge to keep I have"—which of course comes straight out of Henry's wording.
"A God to glorify, a never-dying soul to save, and fit it for the sky."
We are charged, we are called, each one of us to do two things: to glorify God and to love people with the love of Jesus, to bring souls to Jesus, to use some old terminology. This is actually, if you think about it, the great commandment. Jesus said that the great commandment is in two: the greatest is love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; the second is like it, to love your neighbour as yourself. So love God, love people. The whole law and prophets, Jesus said, are summed up in these two commands.
This hymn explains it so nicely in this first verse. What's the charge that we have, that we're called to keep? Well, to glorify God and to reach out to His people with His love. Let's not forget this very evangelical language: "a soul to save and fit it for the sky." That's called discipleship. It's called bringing people into God's Kingdom so that they understand the truth of God and are ready for the sky, for salvation, for eternal life, because they've learnt how to live for Christ.
Verse 2: Serving Our Generation
Verse two goes on and says: "To serve the present age, my calling to fulfil. O may it all my powers engage to do my Master's will."
Based on Henry's words, Wesley realised: I have got a calling in my generation, this present age, to fulfil my Father's will and to do His work here and now amongst these people that I've been placed in, and to use all my powers, to engage all my powers to do His will here in this age.
This is an important point, isn't it? That all of us are called, wherever we are. We've been called to this era, this time, this generation, to use our powers to bring about the glory of God or to show forth the glory of God and love people with His love, that they may also know Him.
Do you know that this is your calling? Is your life an effort to fulfil this calling wherever you are, wherever God has placed you, whatever work you do, whatever family you're in, whatever church you're in? Are you doing what you do there to fulfil your calling as a priest?
We're all priests. Remember, that's what the New Testament says: that every believer is part of a generation of priests or part of a people of priests. So you've got the same call to do this. You may not preach in a church, you may not fulfil that sort of a priestly role, but in your family, in your workplace, in your church, in your society, you've got a charge to keep: to glorify God and to draw people into His Kingdom.
Verse 3: Living in God's Sight
Verse three says: "Arm me with jealous care, as in Thy sight to live, and O Thy servant, Lord, prepare a strict account to give."
"Arm me with jealous care"—that's an interesting phrase. Jealousy is normally seen as a negative thing, but what he's saying here is: let me be so protective of my relationship with You that I don't let anything distract me from it. That I'm jealous for You in a sense that I don't let anything else take the place that You have in my life, because I want to live in Your sight, as he said there. Let me take such care to live in Your sight and to honour You in the way that I live, that I'm kind of jealous of the time that I have with You and the way I live for You. I don't let anything else distract me from that. Arm me with such a care and such a passion for loving You, Lord.
"And O Thy servant, Lord, prepare a strict account to give." So he knows that he's going to give an account for himself on Judgment Day, as scripture clearly says. So he says: Lord, prepare me to give this account so that my account which I give You for the life I've lived is a good one.
Verse 4: Watching, Praying, and Relying on God
Then it ends off with these words: "Help me to watch and pray, and on Thyself rely. Assured, if I my trust betray, I shall forever die."
"Help me to watch and pray and on Thyself rely." Lord, help me today to be watchful, to be prayerful, to rely on You and not stray from this calling.
Then the last two lines are interesting because modern hymnals change this. If you have sung this in your church, perhaps these are not the words you sing. The original comes of course from those words in Leviticus where God said if the priests don't do this, they're going to die. For Henry and for Wesley, this meant this was a picture of how if we don't follow in the ways of Jesus, we will find eternal death—but of course His salvation means eternal life.
So the last two words that say "assured, if I my trust betray, I shall forever die" mean: let me know that I mustn't betray this trust that He's put on me, but I must faithfully live out the life that He's called me to so that I don't fall out of His grace.
But here's the way that some other hymnals have changed it:
In 1904, Hymns Ancient and Modern changed the lines to: "Let me ne'er my trust betray, but press to realms on high"—so let me press on to the heavenly place that is prepared for me.
In 1983, the Methodist hymn book changed it to say: "So shall I not my trust betray, nor love within me die." So if I keep on, the love within me that He has given me will not die.
What do you think? Are those good changes, or do you think the emphasis on possible death and separation from God if we don't carry on through His calling is a good thing? I like those lines. To me they're a little startling, but they are serious and true because they're based on the text. That will inspire me to carry on, not out of fear but just out of faith, knowing that He has saved me from that and I can just carry on and continue to that salvation. But I don't know—the other ones also work, so I suppose it's up to you.
I asked a couple of my Methodist friends, especially my Methodist musician minister friends, about this hymn. Let me share with you what some of them said.
Rev Bill Meaker, who was a bishop in the Methodist Church for many years over here, a great musician and singer as well, said this: "It is certainly one of his better-known hymns. I've sung it many times in church, synod, and conferences. It expresses Wesley's fervent commitment to follow Christ." He also commented on how those last two lines have changed.
Then Rev Rowan Rogers, who is also a great musician and is the minister down in Newton Park Methodist Church in Port Elizabeth, said this: "It was one of the go-to hymns in my earlier years. I occasionally sing it now. Its brevity sometimes makes it useful; other times contributes to its not being chosen. It's a good commissioning hymn for sending out. It is a classic and often-used, well-known hymn. Theologically, it reflects the evangelical heart of the Wesleys: the necessary combination of practical service and a soul fit for the sky—never one or the other. The Wesleys knew nothing of a 'Jesus in me' spirituality. It was always about a deeply personal relationship with God expressed in service to this present age."
Those reflections helped me to get in with these words in a bit of a deeper way.
Conclusion
What about you? Have any of these words resonated with you? Once again, do you have some sort of connection to this hymn? I'd love for you to share it if this hymn has been part of your journey with Christ.
I'm going to sing two different versions. The most common tune set to this hymn is by Lowell Mason, who was a great hymn writer—or great musician—in the early 1800s. He wrote this tune called Boylston, which has often been used in connection with this hymn. Secondly, I'm going to sing the one that South Africans know, which is a tune called Cambridge. It's not as commonly paired with this hymn elsewhere, although it is in some places. It's short. It's interesting—you can sing it in a minute and a half.
But I hope that as you sing it with me now, this is going to just inspire you to carry on with your charge to keep. You've got a calling in your life to fulfil a priestly duty in the world, not necessarily in a church, but wherever you go, to glorify God and to lead people into relationship with Him and to disciple them however you can.
Let's be inspired by Wesley's words to do this. Thank you again for your support of this ministry. I deeply appreciate those of you who support the work I do through Patreon or PayPal. Thank you, thank you. Come, let's sing it together.
References
Anderson, T.K. 2009. 60 Hymn Stories. Nyakod: Cape Coast
Osbeck, K.W. 1985. 101 More Hymn Stories. Kregal Publications: Grand Rapids
