Scripture Verse

Whosoever will, let him take the free gift of the water of life. Revelation 22:17

Introduction

Words & Mu­sic: Phi­lip P. Bliss, in The Prize, by George F. Root (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Root & Ca­dy, 1870), page 7 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Philip Bliss (1838–1876)

Origin of the Hymn

Whosoever Will may Come was wri­tten dur­ing the win­ter of 1869 and ’70, af­ter hear­ing Henry Moor­house, of Eng­land, preach from the text, God so loved the world that He gave His on­ly be­got­ten Son, that who­so­ev­er be­liev­eth in Him should not per­ish but have ev­er­last­ing life, John iii, 16.

Mr. Moor­house preached ev­ery night for a week from this same text, and the new views of the free­ness and full­ness of the in­vi­ta­tion of the Gos­pel to sin­ners that ma­ny Chris­tians in Chi­ca­go [Illinois] at that time re­ceived, are well ex­pressed in Mr. Bliss’ hymn.

Whittle, p. 129

Lyrics

Whosoever hear­eth, shout, shout the sound!
Spread the bless­èd tid­ings all the world around;
Spread the joy­ful news wher­ev­er man is found;
Whosoever will may come.

Refrain

Whosoever will, who­so­ev­er will,
Send the pro­cla­ma­tion ov­er vale and hill;
’Tis a lov­ing Fa­ther, calls the wan­der­er home:
Whosoever will, may come.

Whosoever com­eth need not de­lay,
Now the door is op­en, en­ter while you may;
Jesus is the true, the on­ly Liv­ing Way;
Whosoever will may come.

Refrain

Whosoever will, the pro­mise se­cure,
Whosoever will, for­ev­er must en­dure;
Whosoever will, ’tis life for­ev­er­more:
Whosoever will may come.

Refrain