The Christian — Unfaithfulness Lamented

Return, my roving heart, return

No. 573
Metre L. M.
Tune WELTON.
Words Philip Doddridge.
Music C. H. A. Malan.
Key B-flat major
Singing key B♭ major
Time 2/2
4 stanzas

Words

Return, my roving heart, return,And life's vain shadows chase no more;Seek out some solitude to mourn,And thy forsaken God implore.

O thou great God! whose piercing eyeDistinctly marks each deep retreat,In these sequestered hours draw nigh,And let me here thy presence meet.

Through all the windings of my heart,My search let heavenly wisdom guide;And still its beams unerring dart,Till all be known and purified.

Then let the visits of thy loveMy inmost soul be made to share,Till every grace combine to proveThat God has fixed his dwelling there.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «THE CHRISTIAN—UNFAITHFULNESS LAMENTED.»; hymn number «573» (large), tune name «WELTON. L. M.» centred over the music, «C. H. A. MALAN.» at the right (capitals and small capitals). Stanza 1 is interlinear, one verse line pair per system, with «1.» before «Return,»: system 1 = verse lines 1–2, system 2 = lines 3–4. The italic reference line «746, 542, 23.» (= the same words may be sung to the tunes of hymns 746, 542 or 23) stands under the music; stanzas 2–4 follow as text in the left column, numbered «2»–«4», lines 2 and 4 indented, then «Philip Doddridge.» in italics. The print sets a thin space before «!» and «;» («God !», «guide ;»); it is closed up here. Spelling («sequestered», «heavenly», «fixed»), punctuation and capitals are the print's; apostrophes are written straight.