On March 14, 1744, Charles Wesley was preaching in an old upper room in Leed, Yorkshire, England. He recorded in his diary: "The floor gave way. I lost my senses for a moment, but recovered, and was filled with power from above. I cried out: 'Fear not, the Lord is with us, and we are all safe!' Then I began singing, 'Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.' I lifted up the fallen as fast as I could. Several were hurt, but none were killed." It was one of the most serious accidents of Charles Wesley's life. He escaped with a bruised hand and some skin rubbed off his head.

John Wesley gives this touching incident in his Journal for March 19, 1769. Elizabeth Oldham, the wife of one of his preachers, told him this incident at Chester. In her mother's last moments she said, "Call my son to see me die." He asked, "have you any fear of death?" She replied, "Oh, no, that is gone long since. Perfect love casts out fear. Do you not see Him? There He is! Waiting to receive my soul!" Then she sang with a clear voice, 'Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.' She ended her song and her last breath together.

Bishop Ken died at the age of 74, March 17, 1711. He had asked that his body be carried to its resting place by 6 of the poorest men in his parish. And so it was; each of the men receiving 10 shillings for the day, which was more than most of them received in a week of hard labor. - Hymn Stories by Wilbur Konkel

Praise God! He is above all things!

GOD IS GREAT, JESUS MY SAVIOR !

Darkest Moments, God gave me some Light!

The Lord has blessed us with so much! It is truly wonderful to praise The Lord Jesus Christ for my salvation. Thanks be to God for giving life abundantly!

It is surely a blessing to start the morning with these words of Thomas Ken, a brother in Christ not only in words but more so in deeds.

Amen. I am so blessed by awake my soul and with the sun.

Stanza 1 is by Thomas Ken, and stanza 2 was added. Stanza 1 was actually the last stanza of 3 Hymns by Ken, "Awake, my soul, and with the sun", "All praise to Thee, my God this night" and "My God, I now from sleep awake." The 3 songs are for morning rising, before going to sleep at night, and for waking up during the night.

Bishop Thomas Ken wrote these hymns to remind the students of Winchester College of their daily duties. In his private devotions, Ken would use these hymns accompanying himself on the lute.

He had a checkered career caused mostly by the fact that he wasn't intimidated by royalty and condemned immorality when he saw it. He died in poverty, leaving behind only an old lute and an old horse. He was buried early in the morning as the sun was beginning to rise. Those present sang all 14 verses of "Awake my soul and with the sun".

- Great Songs of Faith by Brown and Norton

Here are the 1st 13 verses of the above hymn. A great hymn to start the day with:

1. Awake, my soul, and with the sun

Thy daily stage of duty run;

Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,

To pay thy morning sacrifice.

2. Thy precious time misspent, redeem,

Each present day thy last esteem,

Improve thy talent with due care;

For the great day thyself prepare.

3. In conversation be sincere;

Keep conscience as the noontide clear;

Think how all seeing God thy ways

And all thy secret thoughts surveys.

4. By influence of the Light divine

Let thy own light to others shine.

Reflect all Heaven’s propitious ways

In ardent love, and cheerful praise.

5. Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart,

And with the angels bear thy part,

Who all night long unwearied sing

High praise to the eternal King.

6. I wake, I wake, ye heavenly choir, (usually omitted)

May your devotion me inspire,

That I like you my age may spend,

Like you may on my God attend.

7. May I like you on God delight, (usually omitted)

Have all day long my God in sight,

Perform like you my Maker's will,

O may I never more do ill.

8. Had I your wings to heaven I'd fly, (usually omitted)

But God shall that defect supply;

And my soul wing'd with warm desire,

Shall all day long to heaven aspire.

9. All praise to Thee, who safe has kept

And hast refreshed me while I slept

Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake

I may of endless light partake.

10. I would not wake nor rise again

And Heaven itself I would disdain,

Wert Thou not there to be enjoyed,

And I in hymns to be employed.

11. Heav’n is, dear Lord, where’er Thou art,

O never then from me depart;

For to my soul ’tis hell to be

But for one moment void of Thee.

12. Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;

Disperse my sins as morning dew.

Guard my first springs of thought and will,

And with Thyself my spirit fill.

13. Direct, control, suggest, this day,

All I design, or do, or say,

That all my powers, with all their might,

In Thy sole glory may unite.

14. Doxology

- The Prose Works of the Right Reverend Thomas Ken, D. D., Sometime Bishop of Bath and Wells by Rev. W. Benham B. D.