Scripture Verse

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against Heaven and you. Luke 15:18

Introduction

Words: Ka­tha­ryn D. Ba­con, in The Pi­lot (Le­noir, North Ca­ro­li­na: Teach­ers’ Mu­sic Pub­lish­ing, 1914), num­ber 27.

Music: Mill­ard F. Wil­kins (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Wil­kins (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), or a bet­ter one of Ba­con,

portrait
Katharyn D. Bacon (1884–1944)

Lyrics

At the bless­èd in­vi­ta­tion
Of the glo­ri­ous Son of God,
Souls are break­ing now the bonds that have en­slaved;
And from paths of sin and dark­ness
That their feet so long have trod,
They are com­ing home re­pent­ant to be saved.

Refrain

Coming home to be for­giv­en,
Taking Je­sus at His word;
Coming to be heirs of Hea­ven,
Fully trust­ing in their Lord.

Freely all their sins con­fess­ing,
Casting on Him ev­ery care,
Trusting on­ly in His grace to find sweet rest;
Just His love and mer­cy plead­ing
As they kneel in ear­nest pray­er,
They are com­ing home, be­liev­ing to be blest.

Refrain

Waiting not to cleanse their spir­its,
Knowing Christ alone can free,
Weary of the sin­ner’s end­less toil and strife;
Making now com­plete sur­ren­der,
Christ’s for ev­er­more to be,
They are com­ing home to find eter­nal life.

Refrain

O the won­der­ful re­joic­ing
Round the throne of God on high,
When a con­trite soul will cease in sin to roam!
And with glad ex­ult­ant an­thems
Now they Je­sus glo­ri­fy,
Singing, Praise the Lord, the lost are com­ing home!

Refrain