“…to all Thyself impart” (Greatest Christmas Song II)

Today we’re going to look at Charles Wesley’s beautiful conclusion to Hark! the Herald Angels Sing, a stanza that is virtually unknown today. But first, a quick story about the tune.

As we talked about back at the beginning, this carol originally had four line stanzas, sung to the tune of “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” (SALISBURY). So how did it end up with the well-known Christmassy tune that we know today?

It was actually long after Wesley died that the new melody was written. In fact, it was about a century after the our carol was written that the melody was composed, by German composer Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn wrote a cantata honouring Johannes Gutenberg and his printing of the Bible, and this melody was a part of that.

But it was an English organist who brought the melody and the words together. William Cummings adapted the tune to Hark! the Herald Angels Sing for his congregation at Waltham Abbey Church. Cummings was an accomplished and influential musician, and the pairing was published in the 1850s and 60s, and the rest is history.

But now, on to the last stanza…

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

We actually talked about the two Adams last time. “Adam’s likeness” is the sinful nature we inherit from the first man. But it is the image of the “second Adam”, Christ, that we desire. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29)

But this is more than a simple transformation, like some kind of mathematical chemical change. It is a matter of love – restoring a loving relationship between us and the Father, as it was meant to be.

And what is love? It is the giving of oneself. And the greatest giving of all is God giving Himself to us!

“Let us Thee, though lost, regain” – we want to regain God Himself! The Life, Himself! As the psalmist wrote, God Himself is our “portion”, our inheritance (Psalm 119:57).

And so this magnificent song ends with a prayer – not for Christmas cheer or peace on earth, but something that brings the greatest joy and peace of all. A request for the greatest gift. “To all Thyself impart” – give us — You, Lord! Through the Spirit, may the Lord be formed in every believing heart.

We might take some different meanings from that last line. Christ, through His Spirit, lives in us. But He also transforms our heart – giving us a new heart – one that has eternal life, one that desires the things of God. With God’s giving of Himself, a relationship of eternal love is formed in us.

How could we better end this song? The amazing story of His birth becomes the incredible reality of His purpose and leads to the intense prayer for a personal experience of His love. There’s a lot to be said for ending the song where Wesley intended it to end.

We’ll take one more look at the big picture next time!