Scripture Verse

Yet there is room. Luke 14:22

Introduction

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Horatius Bonar
1808–1889

Words: Ho­ra­ti­us Bo­nar, Hymns of the Na­ti­vi­ty, and Oth­er Piec­es (Lon­don: James Nis­bet, 1879), pag­es 60–61.

Music: Can­tus Uz­zi­ah C. Bur­nap, 1895 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

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Uzziah C. Burnap
1834–1900

Origin of the Hymn

Dr. Bo­nar wrote this hymn at my re­quest. I had been sing­ing Ten­ny­son’s great po­em, Late, late, so late, and dark the night and chill, at our meet­ings in Great Bri­tain, in 1873–74 [sic], and, on ask­ing per­mis­sion of the own­ers of the co­py­right to use it in my col­lec­tion of songs, was re­fused.

I then re­quest­ed Dr. Bo­nar to write a hymn that should co­ver much the same ground. Yet there is room was the re­sult. It was one of the first hymns for which I wrote mu­sic. It al­ways had a ve­ry sol­em­niz­ing ef­fect on the meet­ings, es­pe­cial­ly when the last lines were sung: No room, no room—oh, wo­ful [sic] cry, No room.

Sankey, pp. 312–13

Lyrics

Yet there is room: the Lamb’s bright hall of song,
With its fair glory, beckons thee along;
Room, room, still room! O enter, enter now.

Day is declining, and the sun is low;
The shadows lengthen, light makes haste to go;
Room, room, still room! O enter, enter now.

The bridal hall is filling for the feast;
Pass in, pass in, and be the Bridegroom’s guest;
Room, room, still room! O enter, enter now.

It fills, it fills, that hall of jubilee!
Make haste, make haste; ’tis not too full for thee;
Room, room, still room! O enter, enter now.

Yet there is room: still open stands the gate,
The gate of love; it is not yet too late:
Room, room, still room! O enter, enter now.

O enter in; that banquet is for thee;
That cup of everlasting joy is free;
Room, room, still room! O enter, enter now.

All Heaven is there, all joy! Go in, go in;
The angels beckon thee the prize to win:
Room, room, still room! O enter, enter now.

Louder and sweeter sounds the loving call;
Come, lingerer, come; enter that festal hall;
Room, room, still room! O enter, enter now.

Ere night that gate may close, and seal thy doom;
Then the last low, long cry, No room, no room!
No room, no room! O woeful cry, No room!