HOME MISSIONARY HYMN

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 11, 1877

HOME MISSIONARY HYMN

About seven hundred hymns and poems were submitted to the committee, and they were to select the hymn best adapted to the home missionary work, and to give the writer of it $100. To the writer of the best poem for the same purpose they were to give $50. They failed to select a poem, but unanimously agreed upon the hymn below as the best, on the whole, for the object proposed. But the writer of it required, as a condition of accepting the reward, that her name should not be given to the public, but that the hymn, if published, should be announced as by “a lady of Virginia.” The hymn which has been accepted, deserves, as it will no doubt secure, a permanent place in our American hymnology. We have great pleasure in laying it before our readers.]

Saints of God! the dawn is brightening, • Tokens of our coming Lord; O’er the earth the field is whitening; Louder rings the Master’s word,— “Pray for reapers In the harvest of the Lord.”

Feebly now they toil in sadness, Weeping o’er the waste around, Slowly gathering grains of gladness, While their echoing cries resound,— “Pray that reapers In God’s harvest may abound.”

Now, O Lord, fulfill thy pleasure, Breathe upon thy chosen band, And with Pentecostal measure, Send forth reapers o’er our land,— Faithful reapers, Gathering sheaves for thy right hand.

Ocean calleth unto ocean, Heralds speed from shore to shore, Heralding the world’s commotion; Hear the conflict at our door,— Mighty conflict,— Satan’s death-cry on our shore!

Broad the shadow of our nation, Eager millions hither roam; Lo! they wait for thy salvation; Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come; By thy Spirit, Bring thy ransomed people home.

Soon shall end the time of weeping, Soon the reaping time will come,— Heaven and earth together keeping God’s eternal harvest home: Saints and angels Shout the world’s great harvest home.