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 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Louderback’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

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 (🔊 pdf nwc):

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