Scripture Verse

Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. John 4:35

Introduction

Words: Ano­ny­mous, in A Book of Hymns for Pub­lic and Pri­vate De­vo­tion, ed­it­ed by Sam­uel Long­fel­low & Sam­uel John­son, 4th edition (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Tick­nor, Reed & Fields, 1849), num­ber 389.

Music: In­vi­ta­tion (Mak­er) Fred­er­ick C. Mak­er, 1881 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know the au­thor, or where to get a good pic­ture of him or Mak­er,

Lyrics

Joy! joy! a year is born;
A year to man is giv­en,
For hope, and peace, and love,
For faith, and truth, and Hea­ven.
Though earth be dark with care,
With death and sor­row rife,
Yet toil, and pain, and pray­er,
Lead to our high­er life.

Behold, the fields are white!
No long­er id­ly stand!
Go forth in love and might;
Man needs thy help­ing hand.
Thus may each day and year
To pray­er and toil be giv­en
Till man to God draw near,
And earth be­come like Hea­ven.