Scripture Verse

Behold, a sower went forth to sow. Matthew 13:3

Introduction

portrait
Gottfried W. Fink (1783–1846)

Words: Wash­ing­ton Glad­den, 1897.

Music: Beth­le­hem (Fink) Gott­fried W. Fink, 1842 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Washington Gladden
1836–1918

Lyrics

Behold a sow­er! from afar
He go­eth forth with might;
The roll­ing years His fur­rows are,
His seed, the grow­ing light;
For all the just His Word is sown,
It spring­eth up alway;
The ten­der blade is hope’s young dawn,
The har­vest, love’s new day.

O Lord of life, to Thee we lift
Our hearts in praise for those,
Thy pro­phets, who have shown Thy gift
Of grace that ev­er grows,
Of truth that spreads from shore to shore,
Of wis­dom’s wid­en­ing ray,
Of light that shin­eth more and more
Unto Thy per­fect day.

Shine forth, O Light, that we may see,
With hearts all un­afraid,
The mean­ing and the mys­te­ry
Of things that Thou hast made;
Shine forth, and let the dark­ling past
Beneath Thy beam grow bright;
Shine forth, and touch the fu­ture vast
With Thine un­trou­bled light.

Light up Thy Word; the fet­tered page
From kill­ing bond­age free;
Light up our way; lead forth this age
In love’s large li­ber­ty.
O Light of light! with­in us dwell,
Through us Thy ra­di­ance pour,
That word and life Thy truths may tell,
And praise Thee ev­er­more.