Scripture Verse

Why stand ye here all the day idle? Matthew 20:6

Introduction

portrait
John M. Bowman (1859–1944)

Words: John M. Bow­man, in The Best Gos­pel Songs and Their Com­pos­ers, by An­tho­ny J. Sho­wal­ter (Dal­ton, Geor­gia: A. J. Sho­wal­ter, 1904), num­ber 175.

Music: I. T. Da­vis (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Da­vis’ full name, or where to get a bet­ter pho­to of him or Bow­man,

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I. T. Davis
1874–?

Lyrics

Far, far away from the Shep­herd’s care,
Out on the mount­ains cold and bare,
There one had strayed from the shel­ter­ing fold,
And wan­dered far from the gates of gold.

Refrain

There many lay in the Shep­herd’s fold,
While one was far from the gates of gold;
Out on the des­ert, through sin’s dark night,
Wandered afar till the morn­ing light.

The Shep­herd said, Though the way is steep,
I go to res­cue My lost sheep
;
Out on the des­ert far away,
He hast­ens while ’tis yet to­day.

Refrain

The Shep­herd found the lamb once lost,
That o’er the bar­ren hills had crossed;
He took it in His ten­der arms,
And sheltered it from desert storms.

Refrain

A sin­ner out in the des­ert cold,
Was wan­der­ing far from the Shep­herd’s fold;
Through chill­ing winds of sin’s long night,
Redeemed at last by Gos­pel light.

Refrain