Jesus Lover of my soul

Welcome to this lovely version that Linda Louisa Entwistle has written of one of Charles Wesley’s best loved hymns. Right at the beginning you will hear the remarkable context in which it is said to have been written. Charles Wesley was preaching in the fields of the parish of Killyleagh, County Down, Ireland, when he was attacked by men who disapproved of his doctrines. Seeking 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 milk house, down in the garden. When the mob came in search of Wesley, she offered them refreshments, whilst at the same time arranging for Wesley to escape through the rear window and to hide under the hedge until they had gone. We can well imagine how such an episode would have fuelled what was destined to become an immortal hymn, which majors on the theme of God being a refuge from physical danger and every kind of temptation. Words by Charles Wesley, Music by Linda Louisa