Why will ye die?

1. There is a Rock in a weary land,
Its shadow falls on the burning sand,
Inviting pilgrims as they pass
To seek a shade in a wilderness.

Refrain 1:
Then why will ye die?
Oh! why will ye die?
When the shelt’ring Rock is so near by?
Oh! why will ye die?

2. There is a Well in a desert plain,
Its waters call with entreating strain,
“Ho, ev’ry thirsting sin-sick soul,
Come freely drink, and thou shalt be whole.”

Refrain 2:
Then why will ye die?
Oh! why will ye die?
When the living Well is so near by?
Oh! why will ye die?

3. A great fold stands with its portals wide,
The sheep astray on the mountain side,
The Shepherd climbs o'er mountains steep,

He’s searching now for His wand’ring sheep.

Refrain 3:
Then why will ye die?
Oh! why will ye die?
When the Shepherd’s fold is so near by?
Oh! why will ye die?

4. There is a cross where the Saviour died,
His blood flow’d out in a crimson tide
A sacrifice for sinful men,
And free to all who will enter in.

Refrain 4:
Then why will ye die?
Oh! why will ye die?
When the crimson cross is so near by?
Oh! why will ye die?

The Sheltering Rock apparently first appeared in Harvest Bells No. 3, 1887 (I don’t have this book to check). In Harvest Bells, Nos. 1, 2 and 3 Combined, underneath the song title the following Bible verses are presented: Isaiah 32:2; 12:3; 65:10 and Col. 1:20. To hear this song, listen at a revival of The Sheltering Rock, sung at Haw Creek Baptist Church, near Cumming, Georgia (starts at 22:25).

Someone wrote of the last line in the refrain, “Ponder that question, if you dare!”

The words and music of this song were written by Baptist evangelist William Evander Penn. He was born in Rutherford County, Tennessee, August 11, 1832, the son of George Douglas Penn and Telitha Patterson. He united with the Beachgrove Baptist Church on October 3, 1847. Penn studied law and opened a law office in Lexington, Tennessee around 1852. He married Corrilla Frances Sayle in 1856. In 1866, the Penns moved to Jefferson, Texas, where he established a law office. The Baptist Church at Jefferson licensed him to preach, and on December 4, 1880 the Broadway Baptist Church in Galveston, Texas ordained him. He began preaching revivals in 1875, and continued until his death April 29, 1895 in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Penn was nicknamed “the Texas Evangelist,” but he held evangelistic meetings in many other states, as well as England and Scotland.

Penn wrote hymns and compiled several hymnals for use in his meetings, all titled Harvest Bells – Harvest Bells: a New Collection of Devotional Hymns and Tunes, for All Religious Meetings especially adapted for Revival Services, 1882, with J. M. Hunt; Harvest Bells No. 2: a New Collection of Religious Songs for Sabbath Schools, and Prayer and Revival Meetings, 1885; and Harvest Bells No. 3: a Rare Collection of New and Beautiful Songs by over one hundred different authors of words and music: for Sabbath Schools, Revivals and Other Religious Meetings, 1887, with Horace N. Lincoln. Around 1891 Harvest Bells, Nos. 1, 2 and 3 Combined was released (Baptist and Reflector Book House was advertising this at least by January 1892). These were released in shape and round notes, and at least some in words only editions. In 1900, Mrs. Penn, with the help of W. H. Morris and E. A. Hoffman, published New Harvest Bells: for Sunday Schools, Revivals, and all Religious Meetings; containing Selections from the Most Popular Song Writers of the Day, together with the Unpublished Songs of the late W. E. Penn. Penn wrote an autobiography, which was included after his death in The Life and Labors of Major W. E. Penn (St. Louis, MO: C. B. Woodward Printing, 1896).