1 Sowing to death or life,
Sowing to reap!
Sowing to joy or strife,
Which shall we reap?
Now let good seed be cast;
Sowing will soon be past;
Harvest will come at last;
What shall we reap!
2 Now is the sowing time,
Life's blooming spring;
Age is the winter clime,
When joys take wing.
Sow to the Spirit now,
Here make thy solemn vow;
Unto thy Maker bow;
Repentance bring.
3 Sad, sad, the reaping day,
If ill is sown;
Vain, vain to weep and pray,
Hopeless and lone.
Sowing for thee is o'er;
Summer will come no more,
Autumn will yield no store;
Harvest is flown.
Source: The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book: for use in divine worship #1267
Belden was born in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1858. He began writing music in his late teenage years after moving to California with his family. For health reasons he later moved to Colorado. He returned to Battle Creek with his wife in the early 1880s, and there he became involved in Adventist Church publishing. F. E. Belden wrote many hymn tunes, gospel songs, and related texts in the early years of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Belden was able to rapidly write both music and poetry together which enabled him to write a song to fit a sermon while it was still being delivered. He also wrote songs for evangelist Billy Sunday. Though Belden’s later years were marred by misunderstandings with the church leadership over his royal… Go to person page >
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