The Pilgrim's Song

Leader of faithful souls, and Guide

Author: Charles Wesley
Published in 91 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Leader of faithful souls, and Guide
Of all who travel to the sky,
Come, and with us, even us, abide,
Who would on Thee alone rely;
On Thee alone our spirits stay,
While held in life's uneven way.

2 Strangers and pilgrims here below,
This earth, we know is not our place;
But hasten through the vale of woe,
And, restless to behold Thy face,
Swift to our heavenly country move,
Our everlasting home above.

3 We've no abiding city here,
But seek a city out of sight;
Thither our steady course we steer,
Aspiring to the plains of light,
Jerusalem, the saints' abode,
Whose founder is the living God.

4 Through Thee, who all our sins hast borne,
Freely and graciously forgiven,
With songs to Zion we return,
Contending for our native heaven,
That palace of our glorious King,
We find it nearer while we sing.

5 Raised by the breath of love divine,
We urge our way with strength renewed;
The church of the first-born to join,
We travel to the mount of God;
With joy upon our heads arise,
And meet our Captain in the skies.

Source: Methodist Hymn and Tune Book: official hymn book of the Methodist Church #561

Author: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepene… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Leader of faithful souls, and Guide
Title: The Pilgrim's Song
Author: Charles Wesley
Meter: 8.8.8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Leader of faithful souls, and Guide. C. Wesley. [The Christian Race.] Appeared in Hymns for those that Seek, and, those that Have Redemption, 1747, No. 41, in 8 st.anzas of 6 lines, and entitled "The Traveller" (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. iv. p. 262). In 1776, Toplady included 7 stanzas in his Psalms & Hymns as No. 269, and from thence it passed into various collections of the Church of England, including Bickersteth's Christian Psalmody, 1833, and others. As found in the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780, No. 69, and later editions, and in the collections of other Methodist bodies, stanzas v. and vii. are omitted. Its American use is great.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #3609
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 91 of 91)

A Collection of Hymns Adapted to the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #d319

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social and Domestic Worship #d465

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social and Domestic Worship #d466

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #d464

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A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #560

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A Collection of Hymns for the use of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in America #837

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A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #537

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A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #537

A Collection of Hymns for the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. with a Supplement #d333

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A Collection of Hymns, for the Use of the People Called Methodists, with a Supplement #71

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A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America. #184

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A Collection of Hymns #L73

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A Collection of Hymns #537

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A Collection of Hymns #71

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A Pocket hymn book, designed as a constant companion for the pious #LII

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A Pocket Hymn Book #LII

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A Pocket hymn-book, designed as a constant companion for the pious #LII

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A Pocket Hymn-book #52

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A Pocket Hymn-Book #LII

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African Methodist Episcopal hymn and tune book #637

Choice Hymns #d69

Christian Praise #d193

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Church Pastorals, hymns and tunes for public and social worship #431

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Church Psalmist #819

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Church Psalmist #819

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Church Psalmody #632

Compilation of Hymns for the Use of the Churches of the Christian Union #d397

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Devotional hymns #S118

Family and Social Melodies #d188

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Free Methodist Hymnal #305

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church #512

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (11th ed.) #512

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (2nd ed.) #373

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Hymn book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (4th ed.) #373

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #648

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #648

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Hymns for Public Worship #189

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Hymns for the Christian Church, for the Use of the First Church of Christ in Boston #218

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Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. ed. #837

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Hymns of the Spirit #147

Jubilant Voices #d86

Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #d445

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Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #561

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Methodist Hymn-Book #613

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Methodist Tune Book #186

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Methodist Tune Book #394

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Millennial Harp #C5

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Millennial Harp #M5

Millennial Musings #d58

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New Hymn and Tune book #287a

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New Hymn and Tune Book #287a

Pocket Hymn Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church #d144

Pocket Hymn Book, Designed as a Constant Companion. 25th ed. #d145

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Public, Parlour, and Cottage Hymns. A New Selection #I.62

Sacred Songs and Solos #721

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Salvation Army Songs #624

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Selection of Hymns for the Sunday School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church #86

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Songs for the Chapel #5

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The African Methodist Episcopal Hymn and Tune Book #637

The American Hymn and Tune Book #d411

The American Repository of Sacred Music #d88

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The Book of Common Praise #511

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The Centenary Singer #249

The Christian Hymnary. Bks. 1-4 #394

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The Christian Songster #86

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The Christian's Harp #78

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The Cyber Hymnal #3609

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The Heart and Voice #264a

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The Hymn Book of the African Methodist Episcopal Church #657

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The Hymn Book of the Free Methodist Church #637

The Hymnary of the United Church of Canada #439

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The Liturgy and Hymns of the American Province of the Unitas Fratrum #794

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The Lord's Songs #LXIV

The Methodist Hymn-Book with Tunes #610

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The Methodist Hymnal (Text only edition) #459

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The Methodist Hymnal #459

The Methodist Pocket Hymn Book. 35th ed. #d150

The Methodist Pocket Hymn Book. Rev. #d153

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The Methodist Pocket Hymn-book, revised and improved #LII

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The Pilgrim Hymnal #532

The Sacred Lyre #d162

The Song Book of the Salvation Army #d433

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The Song Companion to the Scriptures #312

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The Wesleyan Methodist Hymnal #305

The Western Harp #d111

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Vestry Harmonies #63b

Exclude 90 pre-1979 instances
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