Father, a Weary Heart

Father, a weary heart hath come to Thee for peace

Author: Catherine Harbison Waterman Esling
Tune: LEBANON (Zundel)
Published in 8 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Father a weary heart,
Hath come to thee for peace;
The world hath not the healing art
To bid its troubles cease;
It brings before thy throne
Its weight of woe and care;
Do thou accept its pleading tone--
The contrite sinner's prayer.

2 Father--it hath rebelled,
Hath wandered from thy path,
Nor heeded when the thunder swelled
The tempest of thy wrath;
But now, a bruised thing,
Neglected, pale, and bare,
Lo, at thy footstool it doth bring
The contrite sinner's prayer.

3 Father, it bends before
Thy throne among the blest;
Peace to the wretched heart restore,
Give it the weary rest:
Through Christ's atonement given,
It trusteth yet to share
The glorious heritage of heaven,
By lowly, contrite prayer.


Source: Living Hymns: for use in the Sabbath School, Christian Endeavor Meetings, the church & home #421

Author: Catherine Harbison Waterman Esling

Esling, Catherine H., née Watterman, was born in 1812, and married in 1840 to George J. Esling, of Philadelphia. Her poems were collected and published in 1850 as The Broken Bracelet, and other Poems. She is widely known as the author of "Come unto Me, when shadows darkly gather" (Invitation), which appeared in the Christian Keepsake annual, 1839, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines. It is usually given in an abbreviated form. Mrs. Esling is a member of the American Protestant Episcopal Church. (Nutter, 1884, p. 253.) --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)  Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Father, a weary heart hath come to Thee for peace
Title: Father, a Weary Heart
Author: Catherine Harbison Waterman Esling
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 8 of 8)
TextPage Scan

Living Hymns #421

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Manual for the chapel of Girard College #40

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New Union Hymns #266

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Parish Hymns #242

Parish Psalmody #d161

Parish Psalmody #d163

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Precious Hymns #314

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The New Living Hymns (Living Hymns No. 2) #421

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