The Gospel in Six Stanzas

The choir began working on the Charles Wesley hymn “And can it be” last week. One of our astute resident theologians asked about a phrase in the second stanza (the whole stanza is below):

In vain the firstborn seraph tries

Who is the “first-born seraph,” he asked? I had no answer. Consulting the 1983 Complete Works of John Wesley (edited by Hildebrandt and Beckerlegge), volume 7, which is “A Collection of hymns for the use of the people called Methodists" I found no help.

I did find this sermon excerpt by Archbishop Rowan Williams (but still no answer to the question):

And so as we give thanks for Charles' life, we give thanks not only for the words of the hymns, granted that they are an irreplaceable and inexhaustible treasure of classical Christian wisdom. We give thanks for what he saw, and for the fact that he has enabled us to be drawn into his seeing. Not only his seeing that the God of glory has made him free, the God of glory who died for him, the God of glory into whose purposes the 'firstborn seraph' seeks to penetrate in vain. (How Charles loved those firstborn seraphs! They appear more than once.) But also we give thanks for Charles' vision of his tiresome, beloved brother. Because the vision of tiresome, beloved brothers and sisters is, I'm afraid, what Christians are condemned to! They will sustain it and make something of it, insofar as they retain the joy of that first fresh unsurpassable vision into which the firstborn seraph seeks to look: the vision of glory and of grace.

I found a second hymn text by Charles Wesley with the same image (it's included in the hymn collection mentioned above, but I discovered it here:

Till added to that heavenly choir
We raise our songs of triumph higher,
And praise thee in a bolder strain,
Out-soar the firstborn seraph's flight,
And sing, with all our friends in light,
Thy everlasting love to man.

But still no help.

I also found this:

Wesley identifies the problem that is created by attempting to understand God's love in human terms. He does not seek to resolve it however, instead he lets it stand as a mystery. The mystery of divine suffering calls attention to this wonderful love of God which we cannot help but respond to with praise. Perhaps it is this realization which overcomes our emotions when we sing,

'Tis mystery all: th' Immortal dies!
Who can explore his strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
let angel minds inquire no more.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
let angel minds inquire no more.

With no clear answer to be found, but upon more reading and praying the text, I think the reference is to a hypothetical uber-angel. Seraphs are the topmost category of angelic beings. Firstborn may simply be the eldest or similarly top-ranking seraph, closest to God, and offering purest praise in the heavenly realm. The point of the stanza is ultimately the the most-wise individual or even heavenly being cannot fathom the why nor the how of the gift of salvation. We each simply are invited by grace to graciously perceive and enter into the gracious act that God has accomplished in Christ Jesus.

I’ve blogged it before, but here is a delightful rendition of the hymn. Sadly the video-audio syncing is a little off. But you’ll enjoy it nonetheless.

Here is the complete hymn text at CyberHymnal. Most hymnals include five of the six stanzas, leaving out what was #5 in the original poem.