Scripture Verse

I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods. Daniel 3:25

Introduction

Words & Mu­sic: John B. Mat­thi­as, 1836. This ver­sion ap­peared in Gos­pel Hymns, Con­so­li­dat­ed, Emb­rac­ing Vol­umes No. 1, 2, 3 and 4, With­out Dup­li­cates (Big­low & Main: 1883).

Lyrics

I saw a way­worn tra­vel­er,
In tat­tered gar­ments clad,
And strug­gling up the moun­tain,
It seemed that he was sad;
His back was la­den hea­vy,
His strength was al­most gone,
Yet he shout­ed as he jour­neyed,
Deliverance will come!

Refrain

Then palms of vic­to­ry, crowns of glo­ry,
Palms of vic­to­ry I shall wear.

The sum­mer sun was shin­ing,
The sweat was on his brow,
His gar­ments worn and dus­ty,
His step seemed ve­ry slow;
But he kept press­ing on­ward
For he was wend­ing home,
Still shout­ing as he jour­neyed,
Deliverance will come!

Refrain

The song­sters in the ar­bor
That stood be­side the way
Attracted his at­ten­tion,
Inviting his de­lay:
His watch­word be­ing On­ward!
He stopped his ears and ran,
Still shout­ing as he jour­neyed,
Deliverance will come!

Refrain

I saw him in the ev­en­ing;
The sun was bend­ing low;
He’d ov­er­topped the moun­tain,
And reached the vale be­low:
He saw the Gold­en Ci­ty—
His ev­er­last­ing home—
And shout­ed loud, Ho­san­na!
Deliverance will come!

Refrain

While gaz­ing on that ci­ty,
Just o’er the nar­row flood,
A band of ho­ly an­gels
Came from the throne of God;
They bore him on their pin­ions
Safe o’er the dash­ing foam,
And joined him in his tri­umph:
Deliverance had come!

Refrain

I heard the song of tri­umph
They sang up­on that shore,
Saying, Je­sus has re­deemed us
To suf­fer ne­ver­more!

Then cast­ing his eyes back­ward
On the race which he had run,
He shout­ed loud, Ho­san­na!
Deliverance has come!

Refrain

This ver­sion, by Ma­ry Amon, ap­peared in A Col­lect­ion of Re­viv­al Hymns and Plan­ta­tion Me­lo­dies (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: Mar­shall W. Tay­lor & W. Ech­ols, 1883), num­ber 194.

I saw a blood washed tra­vel­er,
In gar­ments white as snow,
While tra­vel­ing in the high­way
Where hea­ven­ly breez­es blow;
His path was full of tri­als,
And yet his face was bright,
He shouted as he jour­neyed,
I’m glad the bur­den’s light!

Refrain

Then palms of vic­to­ry, crowns of glo­ry,
Palms of vic­to­ry I shall wear.

I saw him in the con­flict,
When all around was strife;
When wick­ed men and de­vils
Convened to take his life.
I saw him cast in pri­son—
A dun­geon dark as night—
And yet I heard him shout­ing,
I’m glad the bur­den’s light!

Refrain

I saw him led from pri­son,
And chained un­to the stake,
I heard him shout tri­um­phant,
’Tis all for Je­sus’ sake!
I saw the fires when kin­dled,
The fag­gots burn­ing bright,
He said, The yoke is ea­sy,
The bur­den is so light.

Refrain

I saw the flames sur­round him,
His body racked with pain;
He shout­ed, Je­sus saves me!
I know that death is gain!

Then cast­ing his eyes up­ward,
Before he took his flight,
I heard him faint­ly whis­per,
I’m glad the bur­den’s light.

Refrain

This version ap­peared in The Fin­est of the Wheat, No. 2 (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Ro­bert R. Mc­Cabe, 1894) (🔊 pdf nwc).

I saw a blood washed pil­grim,
A sin­ner saved by grace,
Upon the King’s high­way,
With peace­ful, shin­ing face;
Temptations sore be­set him,
But no­thing could afright;
He said, The yoke is ea­sy,
The bur­den, it is light.

Refrain

Then palms of vic­to­ry, crowns of glo­ry,
Palms of vic­to­ry I shall wear.

His hel­met was sal­va­tion,
A sim­ple faith his shield,
And right­eous­ness his breast­plate,
The spi­rit’s sword he’d wield.
All fie­ry darts ar­rest­ed,
And quenched their blaz­ing flight;
He cried, The yoke is ea­sy,
The bur­den, it is light.

Refrain

I saw him in the fur­nace;
He doubt­ed not, nor feared,
And in the flames be­side him,
The Son of God ap­peared;
Though se­ven times ’twas heat­ed
With all the tempt­er’s might,
He cried, The yoke is ea­sy,
The bur­den, it is light.

Refrain

’Mid storms, and clouds, and tri­als,
In pri­son, at the stake,
He leaped for joy, re­joic­ing,
’Twas all for Je­sus’ sake;
That God should count him wor­thy,
Was such su­preme de­light,
He cried, The yoke is ea­sy,
The bur­den, is so light.

Refrain

I saw him ov­er­com­ing,
Through all the swell­ing strife,
Until he crossed the thresh­old
Of God’s eter­nal life;
The crown, the throne, the scep­ter,
The name, the stone so white,
Were his, who found, in Je­sus,
The yoke and bur­den light.

Refrain