Cast Thy Burden on the Lord

Cast thy burden on the Lord,
Only lean upon His Word;
Thou wilt soon have cause to bless
His eternal faithfulness.

He sustains thee by His hand,
He enables thee to stand;
Those whom Jesus once hath loved
From His grace are never moved.

Human counsels come to naught;
That shall stand which God hath wrought;
His compassion, love, and power,
Are the same forevermore.

Heav’n and earth may pass away,
God’s free grace shall not decay;
He hath promised to fulfill
All the pleasure of His will.

Jesus, Guardian of Thy flock,
Be Thyself our constant Rock;
Make us, by Thy powerful hand,
Strong as Zion’s mountain stand.

Author: Unknown

Year: 1836

This text first appeared in the 1836 edition of "Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs" (often called the "Sacred Harp" or related collections) and is frequently listed as anonymous or "Author Unknown." Some later hymnals have attributed it to "R. F. Cottrell" or other names, but these appear to be erroneous or alternate attributions without strong historical support.