Yes, there remaineth yet a rest!

1 Yes, there remaineth still a rest!
Arise, sad heart, that darkly pines,
By heavy care and pain opprest,
On whom no sun of gladness shines;
Look to the Lamb! in yon bright fields
Thou'lt know the joy His presence yields;
Cast off thy load and thither haste;
Soon shalt thou fight and bleed no more,
Soon, soon thy weary course be o'er,
And deep the rest thou then shalt taste.

2 The rest appointed thee of God,
The rest that naught shall break or move,
That ere this earth by man was trod
Was set apart for thee by love.
Our Savior gave His life to win
This rest for thee; O enter in!
Here how His voice sounds far and wide,
Ye weary souls, no more delay,
Loiter not faithless by the way,
Here in my peace and rest abide!

3 Ye heavy-laden, come to Him!
Ye who are bent with many a load,
Come from your prisons drear and dim,
Toil thus not sadly on your road!
Ye've borne the burden of the day,
And hear ye not the Savior say:
"I am your refuge and your rest"?
His children ye, of heavenly birth,
Howe'er may rage sin, hell, or earth,
Here are ye safe, here calmly blest.

4 O what contentment fills the breast
Of wanderers through the desert plains,
If thy have found a place to rest,
To quench their thirst and cure their pains!
How welcome is an humble bed,
Where they may rest their weary head,
To persons that are sick and sore!
Such hours of sweet repose soon fly,
But there remains a rest on high
Where we shall rest forevermore.

5 Yonder in joy the sheaves we bring,
Whose seed was sown on earth in tears;
There in our Father's house we sing
The song too sweet for mortal ears.
Sorrow and sighing all are past,
And pain and death are fled at last;
There with the Lamb of God we dwell,
He leads us to the crystal river,
He wipes away all tears forever;
What there is ours no tongue can tell.

6 Nor thirst nor hunger pains us there,
The time of recompense is come,
Nor cold nor scorching heat we bear,
Safe sheltered in our Savior's home.
The Lamb is in the midst; and those
Who followed Him through shame and woes,
Are crowned with honor, joy, and peace.
The dry bones gather life again,
One Sabbath over all shall reign,
Wherein all toil and labor cease.

7 There is untroubled calm and light,
No gnawing care shall mar our rest;
Ye weary, heed this word aright;
Come, lean upon your Savior's breast.
Fain would I linger here no more,
Fain to yon happier world upsoar,
And join that bright expectant band.
O raise, my soul, the joyful song
That rings through yon triumphant throng;
Thy perfect rest is nigh at hand.


Source: Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #566