A hymn by Anne Steele (1716-1778)

Taking inspiration from Christ’s invitation to “all who are weary and burdened,” (Matt. 11:28) Anne Steele, the prolific Baptist hymn writer, wrote this warming hymn beckoning weary souls to rest.

Come weary souls with sin distressed,
The Saviour offers heavenly rest;
The kind, the gracious call obey,
And cast your gloomy fears away.

Opresse’d with guilt, a painful load,
O come, and spread your woes abroad;
Divine compassion, mighty love,
Will all the painful load remove.

Here mercy’s boundless ocean flows,
To cleanse your guilt and heal your woes;
Pardon, and life, and endless peace –
How rich the gift! How free the grace!

Lord, we accept with thankful heart,
The hope thy gracious words impart;
We come with trembling, yet rejoice,
And bless the kind inviting voice.

Dear Saviour, let thy powerful love
Confirm our faith, our fears remove,
And sweetly influence every breast,
And guide us to eternal rest.

Follow-up Questions:

1. What do you think Steele means in the first stanza when she writes,
“The kind, the gracious call obey”? What call is she referring to?

2. Two different times, in the first and last stanzas, Steele mentions the
removal of fear – but in the fourth stanza, she commends “trembling” – how
can these two things stand side by side?

3. What verse comes to mind when Steele speaks
of Christ’s “powerful love” removing fear?

4. What do you think Steele means when she speaks of “powerful love”
influencing “every breast”? Does any Scripture come to mind in reference to this idea?