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We should not say directly and initially that the crucifixion was God's crucifixion. Instead, we should say that this was Christ's crucifixion. When we are sharing the truth concerning the crucifixion, we need to take steps like that of a stairway. We should not jump from the top of a building to the ground floor. This is to commit suicide. Instead, we must have a stairway. And can it be that I should gain an interest in my Savior’s blood? ” “Died He for me— who caused His pain? ” In the nineteenth century, FILLMORE was the most common tune this hymn was sung to. However, in the twentieth century this text was paired with SAGINA, and with few exceptions, this is the only tune used today. SAGINA is by Thomas Campbell, about who little is known other than that he published The Bouquet in 1825, a collection of twenty-three tunes with botanical names. “Sagina” is the name of a genus of flowering plants.

One unusual way to use this hymn would be to have the choir sing Lloyd Larson's setting of Wesley's text to the music of classical composer Gabriel Fauré's “Pavane,” titled “How Can It Be?”. The soft, haunting mood of this arrangement is best suited for Lent or Holy Week, and allows the listener to contemplate the sober reality of Christ's sacrifice. The collection “Amazing Love” by Mary MacDonald includes an arrangement for organ and piano duet that is more suited to the jubilant mood this hymn is normally sung with. Another instrumental setting of “And Can It Be” is the trumpet and trombone duet with piano accompaniment by Dana F. Everson. “The Festival Hymn Collection, volume 2” contains a setting of this hymn, with organ introduction, two settings of the verse, and an optional descant. Service of confession and forgiveness; adult baptism; in conjunction with doctrinal preaching; many other occasions. A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church: principally from the collection of Rev. John Wesley, M. A., late fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford; with... (Rev. & corr.) #287 The tune is fairly well-known, but it can present difficulties for congregational singing because of its wide range and frequent melismas. It is a good idea to sing in parts, especially on the refrain. When/Why/How:

And can it be that I should gain

Several members of the Wesley family are significant figures in the history of English hymnody, and none more so than Charles Wesley. Charles was the eighteenth child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, who educated him when he was young. After attending Westminster School, he studied at Christ Church College, Oxford. It was there that he and George Whitefield formed the Oxford "Holy Club," which Wesley's brother John soon joined. Their purpose was to study the Bible in a disciplined manner, to improve Christian worship and the celebration of the Lord's Supper, and to help the needy. Because of their methods for observing the Christian life, they earned the name “Methodists.” Charles Wesley was ordained a minister in the Church of England in 1735 but found spiritual conditions in the church deplorable. Charles and John served briefly as missionaries to the British colony in Georgia. Enroute they came upon a group of Moravian missionaries, whose spirituality impressed the Wesleys. They returned to England, and, strongly influenced by the ministry of the Moravians, both Charles and John had conversion experiences in 1738 (see more on this below). The brothers began preaching at revival meetings, often outdoors. These meetings were pivotal in the mid-eighteenth-century "Great Awakening" in England. Most of the hymnals he prepared with his brother Charles were intended for Christians in all denominations; their Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People called Methodists (1780) is one of the few specifically so designated. John was not only a great preacher and organizer, he was also a prolific author, editor, and translator. He translated many classic texts, wrote grammars and dictionaries, and edited the works of John Bunyan and Richard Baxter. In hymnody he is best known for his translation of selections from the German hymnals of Johann Crüger ('Jesus, thy boundless love to me"), Freylinghausen, and von Zinzendorf ('Jesus, thy blood and righteousness"), and for his famous "Directions for Singing," which are still printed in Methodist hymnals. Most significant, however, is his well-known strong hand in editing and often strengthening his brother Charles's hymn texts before they copublished them in their numerous hymnals. And Can It Be” was written by Charles Wesley in 1738, in response to his conversion to belief in Christ. It was published in John Wesley's Psalms and Hymns in that same year with six stanzas. In a later republication by the Wesleys in 1780, the original fifth stanza was omitted (beginning “Still the small inward voice I hear”), and this revision has been honored ever since. I really like this study. I've used it in a variety of setting and over a number of years. I like the fact that it places and prayer in a theological context and the skilful way it encourages people to pray or to persist in prayer and not to become discouraged about failure or to be put off from trying.

Hymns of the Heart: with an appendix of favorite solos and choruses (Missionary and Church Extension Ed.) #9 Words by Charles Wesley (1738). Music by Thomas Campbell (1825). Public Domain (adm. by Integrity Music). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Churches. All rights reserved. And Can It Be" was first published in john Wesley's Psalms and Hymns (1738). It is subtitled "Free Grace" in John and Charles Wesley's Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739). Traditionally one of the great hymns of Methodism, this text appears in a number of modern hymnals. Whenever I recall my years with the Lord, I am filled with gratitude. For more than fifty years, I have been the object of His mercy and grace. Throughout the course of these years, I have been carried by the wings of a great eagle. Many things which have taken place have been not at all according to my expectation. I thank the Lord that so many things did not work out according to my way, but according to His way. He always knows what I need. I never expected to come to this country, but the Lord has brought me here. Have You ever dreamed that You would be where You are today? In the words of a hymn written by Charles Wesley, This hymn usually appears with all five stanzas, though sometimes the second (beginning “'Tis mystery all!”) is omitted. The refrain is a repetition of the last two lines of the first stanza. Sometimes there is an expanded refrain, in which these two lines are sung twice after every stanza, replacing the last two lines of the second through fifth stanzas, but this omits some important lines of the hymn. Tune:And can it be that I should gain. C. Wesley. [ Thanksgiving for Salvation.] Written at Little Britain, in May, 1738, together with the hymn, "Where shall my wondering soul begin?" on the occasion of the great spiritual change which C. Wesley at that time underwent. His diary of that date gives minute details of the mental and spiritual struggles through which he passed, evidences of which, and the ultimate triumph, are clearly traceable in both hymns. It was first published in J. Wesley's Psalms and Hymns, 1738, and again in Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739, p. 117, in 6 stanzas of 6 lines. When included in the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780, stanza v. was omitted, the same arrangement being retained in the revised edition 1875, No. 201. It has passed from that hymnal into numerous collections in Great Britain and most English-speaking countries. Stevenson's note on this hymn, dealing with the spiritual benefits it has conferred on many, is full and interesting ( Methodist Hymn Book Notes, p. 155). Original text in Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. i. p. 105. A Collection of Hymns Adapted to the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church Including the Whole Collection of the Rev. J. Wesley #ad26 This hymn is used as a song of response, and is especially suited to a service of confession and forgiveness, or an adult baptism. If more than one hymn is desired, try pairing it with another joyful song of response, such as “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less,” or, for contrast, a peaceful one, such as “Amazing Grace.” Though neither Charles nor John Wesley ever left the Church of England themselves, they are the founders of Methodism. Charles wrote some sixty-five hundred hymns, which were published in sixty-four volumes during his lifetime; these include Collection of Psalms and Hymns (1741), Hymns on the Lord's Supper ( 1 745), Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1753), and Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People called Methodists (1780). Charles's hymns are famous for their frequent quotations and allusions from the Bible, for their creedal orthodoxy and their subjective expression of Christian living, and for their use of some forty-five different meters, which inspired new hymn tunes in England. Numerous hymn texts by Wesley are standard entries in most modern hymnals; fourteen are included in the Psalter Hymnal.

Upon his return to England in 1738 Wesley "felt his heart strangely warmed" at a meeting on Aldersgate Street, London, when Peter Bohler, a Moravian, read from Martin Luther's preface to his commentary on the epistle to the Romans. It was at that meeting that John received the assurance that Christ had truly taken away his sins. That conversion experience (followed a few days later by a similar experience by his brother Charles) led to his becoming the great itinerant evangelist and administrator of the Methodist "societies," which would eventually become the Methodist Church. An Anglican all his life, John Wesley wished to reform the Church of England and regretted the need to found a new denomination. A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church: Principally from the Collection of the Rev. John Wesley. M. A. #287 Themes: Cross, God, Gospel, Jesus Christ, Justification & Forgiveness, Love & Mercy of God, The Christian Life, Union with Christ When we preach the gospel, we should also be familiar with hymns on the assurance of salvation, such as Hymns, #309. It is not difficult for young people to sing hymns, because many of them have a good foundation in music. It is especially not difficult for the sisters to sing hymns, because God created them in this way. In Ecclesiastes 12:4 Solomon is referring to the vocal chords when he mentions "the daughters of song." When young people sing, there truly is music.

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Scriptures: Revelation 2:23, Isaiah 61:1, Matthew 9:9, Habakkuk 2:20, Zechariah 2:13, 1 John 3:1, Romans 5:8, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Revelation 5:9, Isaiah 61:10, Romans 8:32, 1 John 4:17, Colossians 1:18, 2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12, Revelation 2:10, Hebrews 10:19-22, John 1:4, Galatians 2:20, Mark 15:39, 1 Corinthians 15:22, 1 Peter 3:19, John 6:38, Ephesians 3:12, 1 Peter 1:12, Philippians 2:6-8, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, Hebrews 10:19, John 8:34-36, Ephesians 3:18-19, Galatians 1:15-16, Psalms 119:32, 1 Corinthians 3:22, Psalms 107:10, Psalms 145:9, Isaiah 28:21, Isaiah 29:14, Ezekiel 11:19-20, Ezekiel 36:26-28, Zechariah 9:12, Luke 5:28, Acts 9:3-19, Acts 12:3-9, Romans 5:12-14, Romans 6:11, Romans 6:17-18, Romans 11:32, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Galatians 3:32, Ephesians 1:14 Like so many of Charles Wesley's hymn texts, "And Can It Be" is full of allusions to and quotations from Scripture; a few of the more obvious texts are Philippians 2:7, Acts 12:6-8, Romans 8:1, and Hebrews 4:16. Wesley's use of metaphors is also noteworthy – he deftly contrasts light and darkness, life and death, slavery and freedom, and especially Christ's righteousness and our unrighteousness. In a compact poetic manner, this text exclaims the mystery of God's grace extended to sinners who turn to Christ in faith. These sinners receive the righteousness of Christ and can approach the Lord's throne in confidence. Such is the amazing love of God in Christ! Charles Wesley (b. Epworth, Lincolnshire, England, 1707; d. Marylebone, London, England, 1788) wrote his powerful and joyful hymn text in 1738 in the days immediately following his conversion to belief in Christ (May 21); he sang it with his brother John (b. Epworth, 1703; d. London, 1791) shortly after John's "Aldersgate experience."