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

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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 >

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First Line:	Return, O wanderer, return And seek an injured Father's face
Title:	Return, O Wanderer, Return
Author:	William Bengo Collyer (1812)
Meter:	8.8.8.8
Language:	English
Notes:	Polish translation: See "Wędrowcze, wróć do Ojca, wróć"
Copyright:	Public Domain

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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)

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)

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