Rest

Verse 1

Art thou weary, art thou languid,
Art thou sore distressed?
”Come to Me,” saith One, “and, coming,
Be at rest.”

Verse 2

Hath He marks to lead me to Him,
If He be my Guide?
”In His feet and hands are wound-prints,
And His side.”

Verse 3

Is there diadem as monarch,
That His brow adorns?
”Yes, a crown in very surety,
But of thorns.”

Verse 4

If I find Him, if I follow,
What my future here?
”Many a labor, many a sorrow,
Many a tear.”

Verse 5

If I still hold closely to Him,
What hath He at last?
”Sorrow vanquished, labor ended,
Jordan past.”

Verse 6

If I ask Him to receive me,
Will He say me nay?
”Not till earth and not till heaven
Pass away.”

Verse 1

Art thou weary, art thou languid,
Art thou sore distrest?
”Come to Me,” saith One, “and, coming,
Be at rest.”

Verse 2

Hath He marks to lead me to Him,
If He be my Guide?
”In His feet and hands are wound-prints,
And His side.”

Verse 3

Is there diadem, as Monarch,
That His brow adorns?
”Yea, a crown, in very surety,
But of thorns.”

Verse 4

If I find Him, if I follow,
What His guerdon here?
”Many a sorrow, many a labor,
Many a tear.”

Verse 5

If I still hold closely to Him,
What hath He at last?
”Sorrow vanquished, labor ended,
Jordan passed.”

Verse 6

If I ask Him to receive me,
Will He say me nay?
”Not till earth and not till heaven
Pass away.”

Verse 7

Finding, following, keeping, struggling,
Is He sure to bless?
”Saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs,
Answer, ‘Yes.’”

Verse 1

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad,
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.

Verse 2

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.

Verse 3

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk,
Till travelling days are done.

Verse 1

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad,
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.

Verse 2

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.

Verse 3

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk,
Till travelling days are done.

Verse 1

Jesus, still lead on,
Till our rest be won;
And, although the way be cheerless,
We will follow, calm and fearless:
Guide us by Thy hand
To our fatherland.

Verse 2

If the way be drear,
If the foe be near,
Let not faithless fears o’ertake us;
Let not faith and hope forsake us,
For, through many a foe,
To our home we go.

Verse 3

When we seek relief
From a long-felt grief,
When oppressed by new temptations,
Lord, increase and perfect patience;
Show us that bright shore
Where we weep no more.

Verse 4

Jesus, still lead on,
Till our rest be won:
Heavenly Leader, still direct us,
Still support, console, protect us,
Till we safely stand
In our fatherland.

Verse 1

My Lord, my Love, was crucified,
He all the pains did bear;
But in the sweetness of His rest
He makes His servants share.

Verse 2

How sweetly rest Thy saints above
Which in Thy bosom lie;
The Church below doth rest in hope
Of that felicity.

Verse 3

Thou, Lord, who daily feed’st Thy sheep,
Mak’st them a weekly feast;
Thy flocks meet in their several folds
Upon this day of rest.

Verse 4

Welcome and dear unto my soul
Are these sweet feasts of love;
But what a Sabbath shall I keep
When I shall rest above!

Verse 5

I bless Thy wise and wondrous love,
Which binds us to be free;
Which makes us leave our earthly snares,
That we may come to Thee.

Verse 6

I come, I wait, I hear, I pray,
Thy footsteps, Lord, I trace;
I sing to think this is the way
Unto my Saviour’s face.

Verse 1

O where shall rest be found,
Rest for the weary soul?
’Twere vain the ocean-depths to sound,
Or pierce to either pole.

Verse 2

The world can never give
The bliss for which we sigh;
’Tis not the whole of life to live,
Nor all of death to die.

Verse 3

Beyond this vale of tears
There is a life above,
Unmeasured by the flight of years,
And all that life is love:

Verse 4

There is a death whose pang
Outlasts the fleeting breath:
O what eternal horrors hang
Around the second death!

Verse 5

Lord God of truth and grace,
Teach us that death to shun,
Lest we be banished from Thy face,
And evermore undone.

Verse 6

Here would we end our quest:
Alone are found in Thee
The life of perfect love, the rest
Of immortality.

Verse 1

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.

Verse 2

Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.

Verse 3

Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?
On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found.

Verse 4

Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away?
In Jesus’ keeping we are safe, and they.

Verse 5

Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.

Verse 6

Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?
Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.

Verse 7

It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease,
And Jesus call us to heaven’s perfect peace.

Verse 1

Thou hidden Love of God, whose height,
Whose depth unfathomed, no man knows,
I see from far Thy beauteous light,
Inly I sigh for Thy repose;
My heart is pained, nor can it be
At rest till it finds rest in Thee.

Verse 2

’Tis mercy all, that Thou hast brought
My mind to seek her peace in Thee;
Yet while I seek, but find Thee not,
No peace my wandering soul shall see:
O when shall all my wanderings end,
And all my steps to Thee-ward tend!

Verse 3

Is there a thing beneath the sun
That strives with Thee my heart to share?
Ah! tear it thence, and reign alone,
The Lord of every motion there;
Then shall my heart from earth be free,
When it has found repose in Thee.

Verse 4

O Love, Thy sovereign aid impart
To save me from low-thoughted care;
Chase this self-will through all my heart,
Through all its latent mazes there;
Make me Thy duteous child, that I
Ceaseless may “Abba, Father,” cry.

Verse 5

Each moment draw from earth away
My heart, that lowly waits Thy call;
Speak to my inmost soul, and say,
“I am thy Love, thy God, thy All.”
To feel Thy power, to hear Thy voice,
To taste Thy love, be all my choice.

Verse 1

Thou knowest, Lord, the weariness and sorrow
Of the sad heart that comes to Thee for rest:
Cares of to-day, and burdens for to-morrow,
Blessings implored, and sins to be confessed;
I come before Thee at Thy gracious word,
And lay them at Thy feet: Thou knowest, Lord.

Verse 2

Thou knowest all the present: each temptation,
Each toilsome duty, each foreboding fear;
All to myself assigned of tribulation,
Or to beloved ones than self more dear;
All pensive memories, as I journey on,
Longings for vanished smiles and voices gone.

Verse 3

Thou knowest all the future: gleams of gladness
By stormy clouds too quickly overcast;
Hours of sweet fellowship, and parting sadness,
And the dark river to be crossed at last;
O what could confidence and hope afford
To tread that path, but this, Thou knowest, Lord!

Verse 4

Thou knowest, not alone as God, all knowing;
As man, our mortal weakness Thou hast proved:
On earth, with purest sympathies o’erflowing,
O Saviour, Thou hast wept, and Thou hast loved;
And love and sorrow still to Thee may come,
And find a hiding-place, a rest, a home.

Verse 5

Therefore I come, Thy gentle call obeying,
And lay my sins and sorrows at Thy feet;
On everlasting Strength my weakness staying,
Clothed in Thy robe of righteousness complete:
Then rising and refreshed I leave Thy throne,
And follow on to know as I am known.

Behold here a broad foundation for the faith of a Christian! We are told in the Gospel to come to Jesus, to believe on Jesus, to live the life of faith in Jesus. We are encouraged to lean on Him, to cast all our care on Him, to repose all the weight of our souls on Him. We may do so without fear. He can bear all. He is a strong rock. He is Almighty. It was a fine saying of an old saint, ‘my faith can sleep sound on no other pillow than Christ’s omnipotence.’ He can give life to the dead. He can give power to the weak. He can ‘increase strength to them that have no might.’ Let us trust him, and not be afraid. The world is full of snares. Our hearts are weak. But with Jesus nothing is impossible.