And Can it Be?

"And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?"

Very often, those words play in my head of the hymn "And Can it Be?" that Charles Wesley wrote long ago. It's one of my favorites, and I thought I would research and write up a small history of the hymn. 

"And Can it be?" was inspired by his own conversion that took place on May 21st, 1738. Charles had grown up in a Christian home and was even ordained as a priest of the Church of England in September 1735. In May of 1738, along with his brother John Wesley, Charles was in England. He had been sick and was still recovering when he stayed in the home of some people named Morivan. Strongly, he was affected by the testimonies of his hosts and others. His journal entry from May 21st writes "I now found myself at peace with God, and rejoiced in hope of loving Christ...I saw that by faith I stood, by the continual support of faith...I went to bed still sensible of my own weakness...yet confident of Christ's protection." Only three days later, his brother John had a similar experience. Charles went on to write over 6,500 hymns. Among some are "Jesus, Lover of my Soul", "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing", "Christ the Lord is Risen Today", and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."