Cast thy burden on the Lord. [Strength in God.] This hymn appeared anonymously (in common with all the hymns therein) in Rowland Hill's Psalms and Hymns, &c, 1st edition, 1783, No. 64, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled, "Encouragement for the Weak." In this form it passed into several collections to 1853, when it appeared in the Leeds Hymn Book, No. 571, rewritten by G. Rawson. As the hymn in both forms is in common use, and the latter somewhat extensively, we append the two.
R. Hill's text, 1783.
Cast thy burden on the Lord,
Only lean upon His word;
Thou wilt soon have cause to bless
His eternal faithfulness.
He sustains thee by His hand;
He enables thee to stand;
Those whom Jesus once hath lov'd,
From His grace are never mov'd.
Human counsels come to nought;
That shall stand which God hath wrought;
His compassion, love and power
Are the same for evermore.
Heaven and earth may pass away,
God's free grace shall not
He hath promised to fulfil
All the pleasure of His will.
Jesus, Guardian of Thy flock,
Be Thyself our constant Rock;
Make us by Thy powerful hand
Strong as Sion's mountain stand.
G. Rawson's text, 1853.
Cast thy burden on the Lord,
Only lean upon His word;
Thou shalt soon find cause to bless
His eternal faithfulness.
Wouldst thou know thyself a child?
Is thy proud heart reconciled?
Is it humbled to the dust,
Full of awe and full of trust?
Dost thou not rejoice with fear?
Never be high-minded here;
Heed not what the tempter saith,
Cling to Christ in lowly faith.
Fear not, then, in every storm
There shall come the Master's form;
Cheering voice and present aid—
"It is I, be not afraid."
He will hold thee with His hand,
And enable thee to stand;
His compassion, love, and power
Are the same for evermore.
By comparing the portions in italics in each of the above it will be seen, stanzas i. and v. of the 1853 text are from Rowland Hill, 1783; and stanzas ii., iii. and iv. are by G. Rawson. In some hymnals, specially in America, alterations are introduced into the 1853 text, as for instance in the Hymns and Songs of Praise, N. Y., 1874, and others. The extent of these and other alterations may be gathered by comparing any given text with those above.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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