Scripture Verse

As…the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. Matthew 13:40

Introduction

portrait
Henry J. E. Holmes (1852–1938)

Words: Jo­seph Hinch­sliffe, Fa­vou­rite Hymns, Odes, and An­thems, as Sung at the Me­tho­dist Cha­pels in Shef­field, Ro­ther­ham, Don­cas­ter, and Not­ting­ham Cir­cuits, fifth edi­tion, 1797.

Music: Pat­er Om­ni­um Hen­ry J. E. Holmes, 1875 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Hinch­sliffe (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), or a bet­ter one of Holmes,

Lyrics

This is the field, the world be­low,
In which the sow­ers came to sow;
Jesus the wheat, Sa­tan the tares,
For so the word of truth de­clares:
And soon the reap­ing time will come,
And an­gels shout the har­vest home.

Most aw­ful truth! and is it so?
Must all the world that har­vest know?
Is ev­ery man the wheat or tare?
Me for the har­vest, Lord, pre­pare!
For soon the reap­ing time will come,
And an­gels shout the har­vest home.

To love my sins—a saint to ap­pear,
To grow with wheat—yet be a tare,
May serve me while on earth be­low,
Where tares and wheat to­ge­ther grow:
But soon the reap­ing time will come,
And an­gels shout the har­vest home.

Then all who tru­ly right­eous be
Shall soon their Fa­ther’s king­dom see;
But tares in bun­dles shall be bound,
And cast to hell—O dread­ful sound!
And soon the reap­ing time will come,
And an­gels shout the har­vest home.