I heard the voice of Jesus say.
A hymn by Horatius Bonar.
Recently, I’ve noticed an uptick in scholarship engaging with Horatius Bonar’s works, for which I am grateful. (For example, I commend to you the work of Biola University theology professor Fred Sanders.) I have long considered Horatius among my favorite theologians and pastoral writers, despite the fact that his brother Andrew might receive more colloquial attention. Horatius, of course, was a well-known hymn writer with over 140 hymns to his name. His devotional writing, though, is equally as robust and nonetheless engaging. If you’re looking for a place to start with Bonar’s works, I would highly recommend his compendium of theological tracts, entitled, Kelso Tracts.
Be that as it may, Horatius’s hymns continue to inspire and speak truth and grace into our everyday lives. The following hymn, “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say,” is a good example of his theological dexterity and ability to bring home the resounding truths of the gospel in affecting ways. I pray these words minister to your heart and soul.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn, and sad:
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk,
’Till travelling days are done.
(Horatius Bonar, 1846, in Morrison, 219)
One of the great mercies of this hymn is its emphasis on the mere act of coming to the feet of the Lord Jesus as you are. “I came to Jesus as I was,” the words run. Jesus, the incarnate Word of the Heavenly Father, is himself the one who beckons raggedy sinners to his side, without any exertion on their part to get cleaned up first. The invitation is simply to come. That’s what the voice says to each and every one of us. “Come unto me and rest.” “Come, everyone who thirsts” (Isa. 55:1).
And upon coming, what do we find? We find that the one to whom we have come is none other than he who is the Living Water and the Living Bread. He gives of himself to weary, exhausted sinners, quenching their thirst and reviving their souls. This is what his voice says to us. His whole life is an invitation to live by faith through his vicarious passion and resurrection. This is who Jesus is for one and for all. This is who he is for you. That same voice is speaking to you, too. “Lay down, thou weary one, lay down.”
Grace and peace to you, friends.
Works cited:
Duncan Morrison, The Great Hymns of the Church: Their Origin and Authorship (Toronto: Hart & Co., 1890).