You help make Hymnary.org possible. More than 10 million people from 200+ countries found hymns, liturgical resources and encouragement on Hymnary.org in 2025, including you. Every visit affirms the global impact of this ministry.

If Hymnary has been meaningful to you this year, would you take a moment today to help sustain it? A gift of any size—paired with a note of encouragement if you wish—directly supports the server costs, research work and curation that keep this resource freely available to the world.

Give securely online today, or mail a check to:
Hymnary.org
Calvin University
3201 Burton Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Thank you for your partnership, and may the hope of Advent fill your heart.

Earthly Things Vain and Transitory

Representative Text

1 How vain is all beneath the skies!
How transient every earthly bliss!
How splender all the fondest ties
That bind us to a world like this!

2 The evening cloud, the morning dew,
The withering grass, the fading flower,
Of earthly hopes are emblems true
The glory of a passing hour.

3 But though earth's fairest blossoms die,
And all beneath the skies is vain,
There is a land whose confines lie
Beyond the reach of care and pain.

4 Then let the hope of joys to come
Dispel our cares, and chase our fears:
If God be ours, we're traveling home,
Though passing through a vale of tears.


Source: The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book: for use in divine worship #926

Author: David E. Ford

Ford, David Everard, son of a Congregational Minister at Long Melford, was born there on Sept. 13, 1797. He became pastor of the Congregational Church at Lymington, in Oct. 1821; Travelling Secretary to the Congregational Union in 1841; and pastor of Greengate Chapel, Salford, Manchester, in 1843. He died at Bedford, Oct. 23, 1875. Mr. Ford published several works including, Hymns chiefly on the Parables of Christ, 1828. From this is taken, (1) "Earthly joys no longer please us" (Heaven Anticipated). (2) "How vain is all beneath the skies" (Heaven Anticipated). These are in American common use. See Hymns of the Church, 1869, and Laudes Domini, 1884. Another of his hymns in common use from the same work, p. 107, is:—"Almighty Father, heave… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: How vain is all beneath the skies
Title: Earthly Things Vain and Transitory
Author: David E. Ford
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 2 of 2)

Hymns of Dawn #98

The Baptist Hymnal #621

Include 163 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us
It looks like you are using an ad-blocker. Ad revenue helps keep us running. Please consider white-listing Hymnary.org or getting Hymnary Pro to eliminate ads entirely and help support Hymnary.org.