1 Soul astray in darkness, bowed by sin and woe,
One still dearly loves you, tho’ you downward go;
Tenderly He calls you in the gath’ring gloom,
Hear Him sweetly pleading “Won't you come back home?”
Refrain:
Won’t you come to Jesus, won’t come back home?
Still He dearly loves you and is pleading, "Come;"
Grieve His heart no longer, cease from Him to roam,
All shall be forgiven, "Won't you come back home?"
2 Tho’ from Him you wander, under sin's control,
Ever He is yearning for your wayward soul;
Arms of love are open, why despairing roam
From the one that loves you, “Won't you come back home?”[Refrain]
3 Think how He has suffered just to prove His love,
Even now a mansion He prepares above;
Even while you wander on to endless doom;
Won’t you try to love Him? “Won't you come back home?” [Refrain]
4 Swift the day is speeding; night is coming on;
Turn, while Jesus calls you, hope will soon be gone;
In the path before you lies the yawning tomb;
Won’t you love the Savior? “Won't you come back home?” [Refrain]
Source: Christian Gospel Hymns: for church, Sunday school, and evangelistic meetings: contains the cream of all the old songs, and the very best of all the new #14
Pseudonym: James S. Apple.
James Rowe was born in England in 1865. He served four years in the Government Survey Office, Dublin Ireland as a young man. He came to America in 1890 where he worked for ten years for the New York Central & Hudson R.R. Co., then served for twelve years as superintendent of the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society. He began writing songs and hymns about 1896 and was a prolific writer of gospel verse with more than 9,000 published hymns, poems, recitations, and other works.
Dianne Shapiro, from "The Singers and Their Songs: sketches of living gospel hymn writers" by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (Chicago: The Rodeheaver Company, 1916) Go to person page >
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