Scripture Verse

My beloved brethren, be firm, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Introduction

Words: Ed­ward A. Barnes, in On Joy­ful Wing, ed­it­ed by John R. Swe­ney & Will­iam Kirk­pat­rick (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­vania: John J. Hood, 1886), num­ber 87.

Music: Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
William Kirkpatrick
(1838–1921)

Lyrics

Be earnest, my bro­thers, in word and in deed,
Be active in reap­ing and sow­ing the seed;
And thus in the vine­yard, with Je­sus to lead,
Be always abound­ing in the work of the Lord.

Refrain

Be al­ways abound­ing in the work of the Lord,
Be al­ways abound­ing in the work of the Lord;
Be ear­nest, be ac­tive, re­ly­ing on His word,
Be al­ways abound­ing in the work of the Lord.

Be rea­dy, my bro­thers, His call to ob­ey,
In seek­ing the err­ing and show­ing the way;
And thus, as His ser­vants, re­mem­ber, we pray,
Be al­ways abound­ing in the work of the Lord.

Refrain

Be zeal­ous, my bro­thers, the light to ex­tend,
And un­to all na­tions the Gos­pel to send;
And thus, till the har­vest in glo­ry shall end,
Be al­ways abound­ing in the work of the Lord.

Refrain