Many of the stories concerning the origin of this hymn, such as that of the bird flying in time of storm to Wesley, or a dove pursued by a hawk finding refuge in his room, or Wesley’s own escape from a threatening mob, cannot be substantiated and must be dismissed as legendary, however plausible and fitting they may be. The hymn first appeared in _Hymns and Sacred Poems_, 1740, with the title, “In time of Prayer and Temptation.” The third stanza, omitted from all hymnals, reads: Wilt Thou not regard my call? Wilt Thou not accept my prayer? Lo, I sink, I faint, I fall, Lo, on Thee I cast my care. Reach me out Thy gracious hand, While I of Thy strength receive, Hoping against hope I stand, Dying, and behold, I live. The simplicity and literacy art of the hymn are unsurpassed. Of the 188 words in the four stanzas of the hymn generally used, all but 31 are monosyllables. The hymn has been translated into virtually every language and uncounted millions have found it a source of help in time of need. Henry Ward Beecher once said: “I would rather have written that hymn than to have the fame of all the kings that ever sat upon the earth.” In the annotated edition of the _Book of Common Praise_, 1909, the following story is given: A party of Northern tourists were on the deck of an excursion steamer, on the Potomac, one summer evening in 1881. One of the party, who had a remarkable voice, began to sing hymns to the others. When he had sung two verses of “Jesu, lover of my soul,” a stranger made his way from the outskirts of the crowd: “Beg your pardon, sir, but were you actively engaged in the late war?” “Yes, sir, I fought under General Grant.” “Well,” the first speaker continued, “I did my fighting on the other side, and I think I was very near you one bright night eighteen years ago this month. It was much such a night as this. If I am not mistaken, you were on guard-duty. We of the South had sharp business on hand. I crept near your post of duty, my weapon in my hand; the shadows hid me. Your beat led you into the clear light. As you paced back and forth you were singing that same hymn. I raised my gun and aimed at your heart—and I had been selected for the work because I was a sure shot. Then out upon the night floated the words: Cover my defenceless head With the shadow of thy wing.