This morning I truly know He is the Lover Of My Soul! King Jesus, Lord Of All!

Thank You Jesus, You are the lover of my soul. I am full of unrighteousness but Thou art full of truth and grace. Give me grace oh Lord to love and be obedient to You always in Jesus name. Help me to continue to live holy life in Jesus name. Thanks for uploading this song and God bless you all.

One afternoon on a Hudson River liner out of New York, Sankey was singing this song to a gathering of people, when a man came to him excitedly out of the crowd. "Were you in the Union Army?" the man asked.

"Yes, I served in Maryland."

"Were you at such and such a battle?"

"Yes."

"Could you have been singing that hymn one night while you were on sentry duty?"

"Yes, I even remember the night," Sankey told him.

"And I remember having a bead on you, but hearing you sing that great hymn I could not squeeze the trigger." - Songs That Lift the Heart by George Beverly Shea

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There is an additional stanza following stanza 2 above:

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.

I found the tuned awkward and distracting. So I tried the words to the tune of "Oh, The Deep Deep Love of Jesus". Ahhhh. That's better........

This is a different aspect of background to the song from that posted by LY 6/22/2013:

Written only a year after his conversion, this is one of the most famous of Charles Wesley's 6,000 hymns. As he wrote it, he may have been remembering his turbulent transatlantic crossing 3 years earlier. He wrote in his journal, "The sea streamed in at the sides ... it was as much as 4 men could do by continual pumping to keep her above water. I rose and lay down by turns, but could remain in no posture long; strove vehemently to pray, but in vain." Later in the afternoon as the storm reached its peak, he said, "In this dreadful moment, I bless God, I found the comfort of hope."

Wesley talked to another passenger about trusting God, and the passenger replied that he had no refuge in times of danger. Even though Wesley was ill and frightened, he had the awareness, as he later wrote, that he "abode under the shadow of the Almighty." - Great Songs of Faith by Brown & Norton

Here's the background to this lovely hymn: Mrs. Mary Hoover, of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, whose grandmother was the heroine of the story, has related to her pastor this family tradition: Charles Wesley was preaching in the fields of the parish of Killyleagh, County Down, Ireland, when he was attacked by men who did not approve of his doctrines. He sought refuge in a house located on what was known as the Island Barn Farm. The farmer’s wife, Jane Lowrie Moore, told him to hide in the milkhouse, down in the garden. Soon the mob came and demanded the fugitive. She tried to quiet them by offering them refreshments. Going down to the milkhouse, she directed Mr. Wesley to get through the rear window and hide under the hedge, by which ran a little brook. In that hiding-place, with the cries of his pursuers all about him, he wrote this immortal hymn. Descendants of Mrs. Moore still live in the house, which is much the same as it was in Wesley’s time.

Sankey, pp. 172-3 (copied from http://www.hymntime.com)

Leave, oh, leave me not alone, still support and comfort me. Thou O Christ art all I want, more than all in Thee I find. Thank You Lord. We love You so, our dear Beloved. Keep us with You all our days. We belong to You.

Thou of life the fountain art,

Freely let me take of Thee;

Spring Thou up within my heart,

Rise to all eternity.

Can anyone say what the background is to this lovely hymn, please. Of all of the hymns Wesley wrote, this must be in the top ten!

Many thanks for your encouraging website.