Scripture Verse

You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later on. John 13:7

Introduction

portrait
Barney E. Warren
1867–1951

Words: Will­iam B. Ste­vens, ar­ranged by Bar­ney E. War­ren, Se­lect Hymns (An­der­son, In­di­a­na: Gos­pel Trum­pet Pub­lish­ing, 1911).

Music: Gre­na­da George H. Cook, in Gos­pel Praise, by Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick & Hen­ry L. Gil­mour (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Hall-Mack, 1899) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Cook (head-and-shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Tempted and tried, we’re oft made to wonder
Why it should be thus all the day long;
While there are others living about us,
Never molested, though in the wrong.

Refrain

Farther along we’ll know more about it,
Farther along we’ll understand why;
Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine,
We’ll understand it all by and by.

Sometimes I wonder why I must suffer,
Go in the rain, the cold, and the snow,
When there are many living in comfort,
Giving no heed to all I can do.

Refrain

Tempted and tried, how often we question
Why we must suffer year after year,
Being accused by those of our loved ones,
E’en though we’ve walked in God’s holy fear.

Refrain

Often when death has taken our loved ones,
Leaving our home so lone and so drear,
Then do we wonder why others prosper,
Living so wicked year after year.

Refrain

Faithful till death, saith our loving Master;
Short is our time to labor and wait;
Then will our toiling seem to be nothing,
When we shall pass the heavenly gate.

Refrain

Soon we will see our dear, loving Savior,
Hear the last trumpet sound through the sky;
Then we will meet those gone on before us,
Then we shall know and understand why.

Refrain