Go, labor on: spend and be spent

Representative Text

1 Go, labor on; spend, and be spent,
thy joy to do the Father's will;
it is the way the Master went;
should not the servant tread it still?

2 Go, labor on; 'tis not for naught;
thine earthly loss is heav'nly gain;
men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not;
the Master praises- what are men?

3 Go, labor on; enough while here
if He shall praise thee, if He deign
thy willing heart to mark and cheer;
no toil for Him shall be in vain.

4 Go, labor on while it is day:
the world's dark night is hast'ning on.
Speed, speed thy work, cast sloth away;
It is not thus that souls are won.

5 Toil on, faint not, keep watch and pray;
be wise the erring soul to win;
go forth into the world's highway,
compel the wand'rer to come in.

6 Toil on, and in thy toil rejoice;
for toil comes rest, for exile home;
soon shalt thou hear the Bridegroom's voice,
the midnight peal, "Behold, I come."

Source: Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #396

Author: Horatius Bonar

Horatius Bonar was born at Edinburgh, in 1808. His education was obtained at the High School, and the University of his native city. He was ordained to the ministry, in 1837, and since then has been pastor at Kelso. In 1843, he joined the Free Church of Scotland. His reputation as a religious writer was first gained on the publication of the "Kelso Tracts," of which he was the author. He has also written many other prose works, some of which have had a very large circulation. Nor is he less favorably known as a religious poet and hymn-writer. The three series of "Hymns of Faith and Hope," have passed through several editions. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872… Go to person page >

Notes

Go, labour on, spend and be spent. H. Bonar. [Missions.] "Written in 1843, and printed at Kelso in a small booklet of three or four hymns." In 1843 it was included in Dr. Bonar's Songs for the Wilderness, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "Labour for Christ." In 1857 it was repeated in his Hymns of Faith & Hope, 1st series, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "The Useful Life," from Daniel, iii. p. 128. Previous to this, however, it had been brought into common use through the Leeds Hymn Book1853, No. 604. In the Supplement to the New Congregational Hymn Book, 1869, No. 1157, it is divided into two parts, Pt. ii. being stanzas v.-viii., "Go, labour on while it is day." This arrangement is also found in other collections, sometimes as, "Go, labour on while yet His day." This second part is in somewhat extensive use in America as a separate hymn. In the American Sahbath Hymn Book, 1858, No. 879, stanzas iv., vi.-viii. are given as, "Go, labour on; your hands are weak”; and, in Holy Song, 1869, No. 535, stanzas i., ii., vii., and viii., very much altered, as, "Go forth to toil; to spend, be spent." This last arrangement is too wretched to be associated with Dr. Bonar's name.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

MISSIONARY CHANT (Zeuner)


ERNAN (Mason)


PENTECOST (Boyd)

William Boyd (b. Montego Bay, Jamaica, 1847; d. Paddington, England, 1928) composed PENTECOST in 1864 for the hymn text "Come, Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire"; it was published in 1868 in Thirty-Two Hymn Tunes Composed by Members of the University of Oxford. The name PENTECOST derives from the subjec…

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Timeline

Media

The Book of Common Praise: being the hymn book of The Church of England in Canada (revised 1938) #266a
The Cyber Hymnal #1937
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Methodist Tune Book: a collection of tunes adapted to the Methodist Hymn book #49

Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 435)

A Collection of Choral Hymns for the ... Hanson Place Methodist Episcopal Congregation #d49

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A Collection of Spiritual Hymns #243

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A Hymnal for Joyous Youth #178

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A Manual of Devotion and Hymns for the House of Refuge, City of New York #280

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A Missionary Hymn Book #51

A. M. E. C. Hymnal #448

A.M.E. Hymnal #d107

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African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #240

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African Methodist Episcopal hymn and tune book #560

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American Lutheran Hymnal #256

Association Hymn Book #d47

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Association Hymn Book #114

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At Worship #265

Battle Songs of the Cross #d49

Book of Common Praise #d148

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Bright Gems #154

Carmina for Social Worship #d69

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Carmina for the Sunday School and Social Worship #286

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Carmina Sanctorum, a selection of hymns and songs of praise with tunes #528

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Carmina Sanctorum #528

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Carols of Hope #35

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Choice Songs #48

Christ in Song #d150

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Christ in Song #795

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Christian Chorals #286

Christian Hymnal #d129

Christian Hymnways #d41

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Christian Life Songs #150

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Christian Melodies #173

Christian Praise #313

Text

Christian Worship (1993) #563

Christian Worship and Praise #d119

Christian Worship #473

Christian Youth Hymnal #239

Church and University Hymns #d56

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Church Harmonies #480

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Church Hymnal #151

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Church Hymnal, Mennonite #499

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #499

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #d152

Church Hymnal #203

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Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #229

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Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #229

Church Hymns and Services, Published under License of the Church Pension Fund #d72

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Church Hymns and Tunes #357

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Church Melodies #762

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Church music #446

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Church Psalmist #804

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Church Psalmist #804

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College Hymnal #299

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Common Praise #511

Coronation Songs #d49

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Evangelical Hymnal #356

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal #394

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Evangelical Lutheran hymnal #394

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal. 9th ed. #a394

Everybody's Hymn Book for Church and Home #d84

Exalt His Name #194

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Favorite Gospel Songs #177

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Fellowship Hymns #230

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Garnered Gems #P177b

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Garnered Sheaves #27

Gems of Sacred Song #d45

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Gipsy Smith's Mission Hymnal #CH229

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Glad Tidings #13

Gloria in Excelsis #d186

Gloria in Excelsis #d112

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Gloria #186

Glorious Gospel Hymns #460

Gospel Hymns #d135

Gospel Tent Hymns #d39

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Gospel Tent Songs #82

Great Songs of the Church #381

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Great Tabernacle Hymns #159

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Hymn and Tune Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Round Note Ed.) #501

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Hymn and Tune Book, for the Church and the Home #619

Hymn Book of the Colored M.E. Church in America #d147

Hymn Book of the Holiness Movement Church #d126

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South #501

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Hymn Book of the United Evangelical Church #356

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Hymn Service for the Sunday School #89

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Hymn-Book of the Evangelical Association #544

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Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #396

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Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #540

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Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book with Accompanying Tunes (Second Edition) #553

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Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book #482a

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Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book #482b

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Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book #553

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Hymnal for Christian Science Church and Sunday School Services #119

Hymnal for Christian Worship #d82

Hymnal of the Evangelical Church. Word ed. #d187

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #603

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #603

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Hymnal #560

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Hymni Ecclesiae #253

Hymns and Prayers for Church Societies and Assemblies #d37

Hymns and Psalms #794

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Hymns and Songs for Social and Sabbath Worship #567

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Hymns and Songs for Social and Sabbath Worship. (Rev. ed.) #567

Pages

Exclude 422 pre-1979 instances
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