The Sabbath

Representative Text

1 The Sabbath was a day of rest;
The day the Lord Jehovah blest;
A lively type of Christ;
The labouring poor may venture here;
The guilty banish all their fear,
And lean on Jesus’ breast.

2 When foes without, and foes within,
Wrath, law, and Satan, guilt and sin,
The child of God molest;
Fatigued with sin, distressed with fear,
He enters into Christ, and there
He finds a settled rest.

3 Jesus is Zion’s only rest;
Thrice happy is the man, and blest,
That into him believes;
His six days’ toil is finished then;
His slavish fear for ever gone;
By faith in Christ he lives.

4 [A precious resting-place indeed;
Whatever weary pilgrims need
Is richly treasured here.
Here sinners may commune with God,
And drink full draughts of heavenly love,
Nor death nor danger fear.]

5 O may I ever rest in him,
And never, never stray again,
Nor after strangers roam;
Dear Jesus, fix my roving heart,
Nor ever let me from thee start,
Till thou shalt take me home.

Source: A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship. In four parts (10th ed.) (Gadsby's Hymns) #636

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Author: William Gadsby

Gadsby, William , was born in 1773 at Attleborough, in Warwickshire. In 1793 he joined the Baptist church at Coventry, and in 1798 began to preach. In 1800 a chapel was built for him at Desford, in Leicestershire, and two years later another in the town of Hinckley. In 1805 he removed to Manchester, becoming minister of a chapel in Rochdale Boad, where he continued until his death, in January, 1844. Gadsby was for many years exceedingly popular as a preacher of the High Calvinist faith, and visited in that capacity most parts of England. He published The Nazarene's Songs, being a composition of Original Hymns, Manchester, 1814; and Hymns on the Death of the Princess Charlotte, Manchester, 1817. In 1814 he also published A Selection of Hymn… Go to person page >

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