Return, O Wanderer, Return

Representative Text

1 Return, O wanderer, return,
And seek thy Father’s face;
Those new desires which in thee burn
Were kindled by his grace.

Refrain:
O you must be a lover of the Lord,
Or you can’t go to heaven when you die!

2 Return, O wanderer, return,
He hears thy humble sigh;
He sees thy softened spirit mourn
When no one else is nigh.

3 Return, O wanderer, return,
Thy Saviour bids thee live;
Come to his cross, and grateful learn
How freely he’ll forgive.


Source: The Song Book of the Salvation Army #256

Author: William Bengo Collyer

William Bengo Collyer was born at Blackheath Hill, in 1782, and studied at Homerton College. Before completing his twentieth year he became pastor of a Congregational society at Peckham, continuing in that position through his life. He died in 1854. He received the degree of D.D. from the University of Edinburgh in 1808. For many years he was one of the most popular Dissenting ministers in London. He published many hymns and some works on theology. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872.… Go to person page >

Notes

Return, O wanderer, return . W. B. Collyer. [Call to Repentance .] Appeared in the Evangelical Magazine , May 1806, and in his Hymns, &c, 1812, No. 928, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed "The Backslider." It is in use in its original form; as "Return, my wandering soul, return And seek an injured," &c, in the Philadelphia Baptist Hymn & Tune Book, 1871; and as "Wanderer from God, return, return," in a few of the American collections.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #5785
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (501 - 534 of 534)

The Vestry Hymn Book #d380

The Victory #d314

Page Scan

The Virginia Selection of Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #88

Page Scan

The Voice of melody #15

The Voice of Praise #d216

TextPage Scan

The Voice of Praise #825

Page Scan

The Voice of Thanksgiving No. 4 #330

Page Scan

The Way of Life #60

Page Scan

The Wesleyan Methodist Hymnal #195

Page Scan

The Wesleyan Minstrel #29b

Page Scan

The Wesleyan Sacred Harp #10

Page Scan

The Wesleyan Sacred Harp #10

Page Scan

The Young Christian's Companion #45

Page Scan

The Young Christian's Companion. 2nd ed. #a45

Page Scan

The Young People's Chorister #273

Page Scan

Tried and True #67

Page Scan

Triumphant Songs No.1 #190

Two Hundred and Fifty-two Familiar Hymns #d156

Union Hymns #d334

Union Hymns. Rev. #d322

Union Hymns. Rev. #d330

Union Prayer Meeting Hymns #d183

Union Prayer Meeting Hymns #d183

Vestry Songs #d166

Village Hymns #68

Page Scan

Village hymns for social worship, selected and original #68

Page Scan

Village hymns for social worship, selected and original #68

Page Scan

Village Hymns for Social Worship, Selected and Original #68

Virginia Selection of Psalms #d361

Page Scan

Wesleyan Hymn and Tune Book #8c

TextAudioPage Scan

Wondrous Love #59

Page Scan

Worship in Song #349

Page Scan

Worship in the School Room #65

Zion's Harp #d106

Pages

Exclude 530 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us