Great Hymns of the Faith had only nine tunes by William B. Bradbury—ten, technically, but Just as I Am is kind of short for a stand-alone arrangement—so I needed another one for my set of ten arrangements by him. Fortunately, I found this one on exhibit at Liberty University. The hymnal it was in was open to it, so I couldn’t see the cover of the book, but I found out it was World Evangel (according to hymnary.org, the only hymnal that placed this at #125). I’d never heard it before, but it’s a perfect hymn for a mission’s conference, as you’ll see.

1. Over the ocean wave, far, far away,
There the poor heathen live, waiting for day;
Groping in ignorance, dark as the night,
No blessed Bible to give them the light:
Pity them, pity them, Christians at home,
Haste with the bread of life, hasten and come.

2. Here in this happy land we have the light,
Shining from God’s Own Word, free, pure, and bright;
Shall we not send to them Bibles to read,
Teachers, and preachers, and all that they need?
Pity them, pity them, Christians at home,
Haste with the bread of life, hasten and come.

3. Then, while the mission ships glad tidings bring,
List! as that heathen band joyfully sing,
“Over the ocean wave O, see them come,
Bringing the bread of life, guiding us home.”
Pity them, pity them, Christians at home,
Haste with the bread of life, hasten and come.