Scripture Verse

He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. John 4:36

Introduction

portrait
R. Kelso Carter (1849–1928)

Words & Mu­sic: R. Kel­so Car­ter, in The Gos­pel Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by Ed­win O. Ex­cell (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: Jen­nings & Pye, 1899), num­ber 25 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

Oh! the sow­ing time seems weary
And full oft the work­ers cry,
To the Lord who rules the har­vest,
For the reap­ing by and by.

Refrain

What a reap­ing, reap­ing,
What a reap­ing it will be by and by.
Every sor­row we have known,
Every tear that we have sown,
What a reap­ing it will be by and by!

In the sor­row and the suf­fer­ing,
When each breath is but a sigh;
Though we sow in tears, re­mem­ber
There’s a reap­ing by and by.

Refrain

When our hearts are strained to break­ing,
Comfort oth­er suf­fer­ers nigh;
And our har­vest will be dou­bled
In the reap­ing by and by.

Refrain

For the love of Christ is flow­ing
In a stream that’s ne­ver dry;
He will wa­ter all our sow­ing,
For the reap­ing by and by.

Refrain