Edition notes: This edition as arranged by James C. Lowry in Supplement to the Kentucky Harmony, 1820; shape notes (4-shape) as in Lowry's arrangement. The second staff with Bass clef in original; converted to treble clef and moved up one octave. The first four stanzas as in Kentucky Harmony, the last four stanzas from Smith and Sleep's Divine Hymns, 1794.
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Description: First published in Ingalls' Christian Harmony, 1805, p. 54, without attribution, for three parts, in A minor; arranged by James C. Lowry in 1820, for four parts, and moving key to F# minor. A "structurally pentatonic melody in Aeolian mode" (Music 2005). Entitled Pilgrim in some later editions. Words by an anonymous author (Music 2005); the earliest reference I could find was in Smith and Sleep's Divine Hymns, 1794.
References:
Music, David W. 2005. A Selection of Shape-note Folk Hymns: From Southern United States Tune Books, 1816-61. Middleton, Wisconsin: A-R Editions. 172 pp.
Smith, Joshua, and Samuel Sleep. 1794. Divine Hymns or Spiritual Songs, for the Use of Religious Assemblies and Private Christians. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: John Melcher. 158+ pp.
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
Smith and Sleep, 1794
1. Come all ye weary travelers,
Now let us join and sing
The everlasting praises
Of Jesus our great King.
We've had a tedious journey,
And tiresome 'tis true ;
But see how many dangers
The Lord has brought us through,
2. At first when Jesus found us,
He called us unto him,
And pointed out the danger
Of falling into sin.
The world, the flesh, and Satan
Would prove a fatal snare,
Unless we did reject them
By faith and humble prayer.
3. But by our disobedience
With sorrow we confess.
We've had long to wander.
In a dark wilderness;
Where we might long have fainted
In that enchanted ground,
But now and then a cluster
Of pleasant grapes we found.
4. The pleasant fruits of Canaan
Give life and joy and peace;
Revive our drooping spirits,
And love and strength increase;
To confess our Lord and Master,
And run at his command,
And hasten on our journey
Unto the promised land.
5. With faith, and hope, and patience
We're made for to rejoice,
And Jesus and his people
Forever are our choice,
In peace and consolation
We now are going on
The pleasing road to Canaan,
Where Jesus Christ is gone.
6 Sinners, why stand ye idle,
While we do march along ,
Has conscience never told you
That you are going wrong,
Down the broad road to darkness,
To bear an endless curse;
Forsake your ways of sinning,
And come and go with us.
7. But if you will refuse it,
We bid you all farewell;
We're on the road to Canaan,
And you the road to hell;
We're sorry for to leave you,
We'd rather you would go
Come try a bleeding Savior
And see the waters flow.
8. Now to the King immortal
Be everlasting praise,
For in his holy service
We long to spend our days,
Till we arrive at Canaan,
The celestial world above,
With everlasting wonder
To praise redeeming love.
Kentucky Harmony Suppl., 1820
1. Come all you weary travelers, Come let us join and sing
The everlasting praises
Of our exalted King.
We've had a tedious journey,
And tiresome it is true ;
But see how many dangers
The Lord has brought us through,
2. At first when Jesus found us,
He called us unto him,
And pointed out the danger
Of falling into sin.
The world, the flesh, and Satan
Would prove a fatal snare, Until we do resist them
By faith and fervent prayer.
3. But by our disobedience
With sorrow we confess.
We've had too long to wander.
In this dark wilderness;
Where we might soon have fainted
In that enchanted ground, But Jesus interposed, And pleasant fruits we found.
4. Gracious foretastes of heaven
Give life and health and peace; Revives our drooping spirits, Our faith and love increase; Confessing Christ our Master, Obeying his command, We hasten on our journey
Unto the promised land.
English text