Scripture Verse

When the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them. Luke 4:40

Introduction

Words: Val­en­tine March, in Songs of Joy and Glad­ness No. 2, by Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick et al. (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Mc­Don­ald, Gill & Com­pa­ny, 1890), num­ber 106.

Music: Lake Ta­hoe John R. Swe­ney (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of March (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
John Sweney (1837–1899)

Lyrics

illustration
Le Christ Guérissant un Malade
Mathieu I. van Brée (1773–1839)

Then when the sun was set they came
And brought the loved ones, blind and lame,
To Him who won­drous words had taught,
And mi­ra­cles so migh­ty wrought,
In Ga­li­lee, in Ga­li­lee.

’Twas not till set­ting of the sun,
No, not till night had just be­gun—
They brought at last the loved ones ill,
To sup­pli­cate the Mas­ter’s skill,
On bend­ed knee, on bend­ed knee.

’Twas pas­sing strange so long they’d wait,
These suf­fer­ing and dis­con­so­late.
Why tar­ry all the wea­ry day!
Why did the sick ones still de­lay
The Christ to see, the Christ to see?

O Great Phy­si­cian from above,
Heal Thou the sin-sick souls we love!
But, Mas­ter, grant we may not bide
So long a time—till ev­en­tide—
To ask of Thee, to ask of Thee.