Scripture Verse

Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Introduction

Words: John S. B. Mon­sell, Hymns of Love and Praise for the Church’s Year, 1863.

Music: Bakh­mut Car­ey Bog­gess, in Glo­ri­ous Things in Sac­red Song, by Tul­li­us C. O’Kane (De­la­ware, Ohio: T. C. O’Kane, 1886), num­ber 49 (🔊 pdf nwc).This tune is for an even number of verses.

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Bog­gess (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
John Monsell (1811–1875)

Lyrics

Laboring and hea­vy la­den,
Wanting help in time of need;
Fainting by the way from hun­ger,
Bread of Life! on Thee we feed.

Thirsting for the springs of wa­ters
That, by love’s eter­nal law,
From the strick­en rock are flow­ing,
Well of Life! from Thee we draw.

Driven out from hap­py Ed­en,
Far from home and shel­ter strayed,
Tossed with tem­pest, faint from sun­shine,
Tree of Life! we seek Thy shade.

In the land of cloud and sha­dow,
Where no hu­man eye can see,
Light to those who sit in dark­ness,
Light of Life! we walk in Thee.

Strangers up­on earth, and pil­grims
Wearied with the world, and weak,
By life’s ma­ny ways be­wil­dered,
Path of Life! for Thee we seek.