Scripture Verse

All the rivers run into the sea. Ecclesiastes 1:7

Introduction

portrait
Henry L. Gilmour (1836–1920)

Words: Jes­sie D. Will­dy, in The King’s Prais­es Num­ber Three, by Hen­ry Gil­mour et al. (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Praise Pub­lish­ing, 1912), num­ber 98.

Music: Pre­toria Hen­ry L. Gil­mour, 1912 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

Swift flash­ing on­ward
With the rest­less tide
We drift along, nor
Heeding wind, nor rain;
Far out up­on life’s
Ocean wild, and wide,
We ling­er, and at
Last the har­bor gain.

Refrain

As ev­er flow
The wa­ters to the sea,
Thro’ sun­lit days, and
Dreary gloom of night:
So are we sure­ly
Coming un­to Thee,
Where dark­ness shall be
Turned to end­less light.

Yet true as ri­vers
Travel from their source,
Or sha­dows from the
Sunlight ev­er flee,
As stars tra­verse the
Heavens in their course,
So do we ev­er
Follow un­to Thee.

Refrain

Sometimes the path is
Tedious, drear and long,
And hearts awea­ry
Falter by the way;
Sometimes a mi­nor
Chord sounds thro’ the song,
And winds blow chill, and
Clouds are dull and gray.

Refrain

Thus one by one the
Days glide in­to years,
And year by year we
Closer come to Thee,
Thro’ sun­shine and thro’
Rain, thro’ smiles and tears,
As ev­er flow the
Waters to the sea.

Refrain