121. Rejoice, the Lord is King
Charles Wesley, 1707-88
A jubilant song of Christ’s exaltation and coming in power, based on Phil. 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice.”
The hymn, in seven stanzas, appeared first in John Wesley’s Sacred and Moral Poems, 1744, and later in Wesley’s Hymns for our Lord’s Resurrection, 1746. Though the resurrection note is in the hymn, it is appropriate also for general occasions.
Charles Wesley wrote four great festival hymns: (1) “Hark! the herald angels sing” for Christmas; (2) “Christ the Lord is risen today” for Easter; (3) “Hail the day that sees Him rise” for Ascension; and (4) “Rejoice, the Lord is king” for Whitsuntide.
For comments on Charles Wesley see [Hymn 6].
MUSIC. ARTHUR’S SEAT appeared in Hymns and Songs of Praise 1874, by John K. Paine and Uzziah C. Burnap. The tune is believed to be an arrangement by Burnap from a melody composed by Sir John Goss, 1800-80, English organist and composer of church choir music. Handel composed a tune, “Gopsal,” especially for this hymn, but it is not well known and has not found its way into many of the hymn books.
For comments on Paine and Burnap see [Hymn 134].
122. Hail, Thou once despisèd Jesus!
John Bakewell, 1721-1819