Come Ye (You) Sinners Poor and Needy (I will arise and go to Jesus)

This is a hymn about repentance. The verses were written by English author, hymn writer and Calvinist minister Joseph Hart (1712–1768).

It was first published in his book "Hymns Composed on Various Subjects" (1759), where it was paired with a refrain by an anonymous author, which is believed to come from American oral tradition. (ref) This refrain is given below.

With meter of 87 87, tunes that it has been set to include:

ARISE by Phillip P Bliss (1839 - 1876)
RESTORATION from The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, by William Walker (1835)
BEACH SPRING by (possibly collected by) Benjamin F. White, 1844 (published in Sacred Harp) - with a different refrain, which is attributed to Hart (ref).

Downloads

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Lead sheet (melody + guitar chords)

PowerPoint slides

Examples

Trio with guitar and mandolin, tune BEACH SPRING

Choir with very light organ backing, tune RESTORATION:

Solo singer, self-accompanied on guitar, tune BEACH SPRING:

Small choir, piano accompanient, tune RESTORATION:

Lyrics

Original chorus

Come, you sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus, ready, stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.

Chorus:
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Saviour,
O there are ten thousand charms.

Come, you thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.

Come, you weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies.
On the bloody tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?

Lo! th’incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood:
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.

Version published in Sacred Harp 1844

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore,
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and pow’r.
He is able, He is able,
He is willing, doubt no more,
He is able, He is able,
He is willing, doubt no more.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream,
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.
This He gives you, this He gives you,
’Tis the Spirit’s rising beam,
This He gives you, this He gives you,
’Tis the Spirit’s rising beam.

Agonizing in the garden,
Lo! your Master prostrate lies;
On the bloody tree behold Him,
Hear Him cry before He dies;
“It is finished! It is finished”
Sinners will this not suffice?
“It is finished! It is finished”
Sinners will this not suffice?

Lo! th’incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood;
Venture to Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.
None but Jesus, none but Jesus,
Can do helpless sinners good,
None but Jesus, none but Jesus,
Can do helpless sinners good.

ABC Notation

About ABC notation

  X:1

  T:Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy

  C:Words: Joseph Hart (1712–1768)

  C:Music: Benjamin F. White (1844, Sacred Harp)

  Z:abc-transcription www.GodSongs.net

  N:87.87D BEACH SPRING

  M:3/4

  L:1/8

  K:Fmaj

  "F"FF | "Gm"G2 "F"F2 AA | "Gm"(GF) "Bb"D2 "F"FF | "Dm"D2 "C"C2 "Bb"DF | "F"F4
  FF |

  w:Come, ye sin-ners, poor and need_y, weak and wound-ed, sick and sore,
  Je-sus

  yyyy"Gm"G2 "F"F2 AA | "Gm"(GF) "Bb"D2 "F"FF | "Dm"D2 "C"C2 "Bb"DF | "F"F4 FA
  |

  w:rea-dy stands to save_ you, full of pi-ty, love and pow’r. He is

  yyyy"C"c2 c2 "Dm"dc | "F"A2 F2 FA yy|"C"c2 "Bb"F2 (A/2G/2)F | "Dm"D4 dc |

  w:ab-le, He is ab-le, He is will-ing, doubt_ no more, He is

  yyyy"F"A2 F2 AA |"Gm"(GF) "Bb"D2 "F"FF | "Dm"D2 "C"C2 "Bb"DF | "F"F4 |]

  w:ab-le, He is ab_le, He is will-ing, doubt no more.