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THE PLEADING VOICE

The Voice of Love

Scripture Verse

To all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name. John 1:12

Introduction

Words: J. L. Louderback, in Good­ly Pearls, by John Swe­ney & John Hood (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: John J. Hood, 1875), num­ber 53.

Music: Te­me­cu­la John R. Swe­ney, 1875 (🔊 ).

If you know Louderback’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), would you send us an e-mail?

portrait
John Sweney (1837–1899)

Lyrics

Weary, wan­d’ring child of grief,
Hear the Sav­ior’s plead­ing voice;
If you on­ly come to Him,
He will make your heart re­joice.

Refrain

O re­ceive Him, O, be­lieve Him;
Christ in mer­cy bids you come;
He’ll re­ceive you, He’ll re­lieve you,
And pre­pare you for His home.

Tho’ your soul be foul with sin,
He can make you white as snow;
Do you sigh for peace with­in?
To the liv­ing fount­ain go.

Refrain

Wand’rer, then, re­trace thy course,
Trust thy soul to His dear love,
Now the Sav­ior pleads for thee,
In the courts of Heav’n above.

Refrain

When life’s wea­ry race is run,
And thy con­flicts all are past,
Heav’n in view, the vic­t’ry won,
God will crown you His at last.

Refrain

The text was re­pub­lished in Wreath of Praise, by Asa Hull (New York; Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio; & Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Da­ni­el W. Knowles, John Church & Hen­ry A. Sum­ner, 1879), numb­er 34, with mo­di­fied text, as The Voice of Love, to the tune Span­ish Wells by Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick (🔊 ):

Weary, wan­d’ring child of grief,
Hear the Sav­ior’s plead­ing call,
Who for sin­ners, e’en the chief,
Died to save you from the fall.

Refrain

O be­lieve Him, O re­ceive Him,
Christ in mer­cy bids you come;
O be­lieve Him, O re­ceive Him—
In thy sins no long­er roam.

What tho’ stepped in dark­est crime,
Foul, un­clean, and stained with sin,
Jesus knows it all the time,
Seeks to make and keep you clean.

Refrain

In thy course, O wan­d’rer, pause,
Listen to the voice of love—
Christ the Sav­ior pleads thy cause
In the courts of Heav’n above.

Refrain

And when life’s great race is run,
And thy con­flicts all are past,
Heav’n in view, thy vic­t’ry won,
God shall crown you His at last.

Refrain