Scripture Verse

There is no new thing under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9

Introduction

Words: R. Ho­ra­tio Har­din, in Songs of Love and Praise No. 4, by John Swe­ney & Hen­ry L. Gil­mour (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: John J. Hood, 1897).

Music: John R. Swe­ney (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
John R. Sweney (1837–1899)

Lyrics

Tho’ rough may be thy path, and long,
Remember! that with grief as sore,
And bur­dens larg­er far than thine,
Some heart has gone this way be­fore.

Refrain

Trust then in Christ! His arm will guide
Each faith­ful one thro’ Jor­dan’s tide;
Hope on! the race will soon be past
And vic­to­ry will come at last.

Tho’ dark may be the gath’ring night;
Tho’ loud and long the storm may roar;
Take cour­age! thou art not the first,
Some heart has gone this way be­fore.

Refrain

Some heart has gone this way be­fore,
Some feet have scaled this diz­zy height;
Some yearn­ing eyes have pierced the gloom,
And seen the dawn of Hea­ven’s light.

Refrain

So thou, dear pil­grim, too, canst go;
Some day thy tri­als will be o’er;
For unto rest and peace be­yond,
Some heart has gone this way be­fore.

Refrain