“I Want a Principle Within”: Resolute Text, Trivial Tune, Mixed Metaphor

One of the lectionary hymns for September 19, 2004 (sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost) is Charles Wesley's "I Want a Principle Within" (The United Methodist Hymnal, 410). It relates to both the Old Testament (Jeremiah 8:18-9:1) and Psalm (Psalm 79:1-9) readings. I suspect that it is one of those Wesley hymns that is not sung very often anymore &— mostly because of the tune that accompanies it. It may have been sung more often by older members of our congregations in their younger years. The tune is adapted from a solo from a now-obscure oratorio by Louis Spohr (1784-1859) that is performed far less often even than this hymn tune based upon it. Hymnal editor Carlton Young calls this a "trivial tune" and observes that our hymnal is alone in matching it to this "resolute text." (See Carlton Young, Companion to The United Methodist Hymnal, Abingdon Press, 1993, page 422.)

The Hymnal Revision Committee struggled with Wesley's original text as well as with some of the changes that had been made in earlier hymnals. In stanza one, "help me" was restored to Wesley's original "I want." In stanza three, "burden" was restored to "mountain" and "grace" to "blood." Wesley's original stanza two read, "help me to feel an idle thought as actual wickedness." Apparently the committee thought this language to be too much a part of Wesley's personal eighteenth century vocabulary to be accepted today, and the entire stanza was dropped. They retained, however, the phrase "Quick as the apple of an eye." Young observes that this is "a metaphor for spiritual sensitivity and a prayer that one's conscience may be as sensitive to sin as the pupil of the eye is to light." (Young, Companion, page 422) That is certainly true of the word "quick," which in Wesley's day meant alert, perceptive, or sensitive. But it does not explain the phrase "the apple of an eye," which has a different meaning; namely, that which is valued, prized, or dear. We know this phrase from other hymns ("I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord," no. 540, stanza 2), and from Scripture (Psalm 17:8, Proverbs 7:3). I believe this phrase is a rare example of Wesley mixing his metaphors for the sake of rhythm and rhyme. Stanza two's "filial awe" refers to the awe a child might have for a parent.

This "resolute text," even with its "trivial tune," would serve well in Sunday worship. But in the hope of matching it with a more suitable tune, I have set it to LLANGLOFFAN, used elsewhere in our hymnal as a 76.76 D tune (nos. 425, 435). This is a nineteenth century Welsh folk tune set in the minor mode, but which, with this text, should not have any sense of sadness attached to it. It should move right along with strength and purpose. As with many other Welsh tunes, LLANGLOFFAN works equally well in major or minor; and in fact, it can be found in hymnals in the major key. It is quite possible to sing this setting in G Major by changing the key signature to one sharp. In the major tonality, this tune is known as LLANFYLLIN.

Below are links to melody-only and full harmonization settings of "I Want a Principle Within." These may be copied into your worship bulletin or used as inserts without further permission required.

I Want a Principle Within — Guitar (Sibelius format)
I Want a Principle Within — Guitar (PDF format)

I Want a Principle Within — Welsh Harmony (Sibelius format)
I Want a Principle Within — Welsh Harmony (PDF format)

The pdf format requires the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download from Adobe).