CHRISTIAN CHURCH >> Mission of the church
SDAH 375
Work for the night is coming,
Work through the morning hours;
Work while the dew is sparkling;
Work ‘mid springing flow’rs.
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For Worship Leaders
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Hymn Spotlight: Work, for the Night Is Coming
Written by Annie Louisa Walker at just 18 years old, this hymn echoes Jesus’ solemn words in John 9:4—“The night cometh, when no man can work.” It reminds us that our time to labor for God is limited and precious. Though originally penned in a slightly different poetic form, the familiar tune by Lowell Mason helped the hymn spread far and wide. Its message is simple yet stirring: while we still have light and life, let us serve faithfully until the day is done.
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
Annie Louisa Walker was born in 1836 in Brewood, Staffordshire, England. When she was about 17 years of age she emigrated to Canada. At 18 she wrote these words, which are an enlargement and emphasis on the words of Jesus to His disciples, “The night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). It was written in 7.6.7.6.doubled, which is one syllable longer in the fourth and eighth lines of the hymn. For example, the original fourth lines were respectively:
Work, ‘mid the springing flowers
Rest cometh sure and soon
Work, for the daylight flies
Also the night preceded the last line of each stanza. The author utterly disagreed with this reduction from six syllables to five, but the tune DILIGENCE, or this WORK SONG, composed for the words in 1864 by Lowell Mason (1792-1872; see Biographies) popularized the hymn in its present form.
The words were sent, as were other poems written by Walker, to a Canadian newspaper. Much later, the hymn was published without any acknowledgment of authorship in Sankey’s Sacred Songs and Solos. Walker published Leaves From the Backwoods in 1859, Poems in 1868, and wrote novels, children’s plays, and magazine articles. She married Harry Coghill in 1883, returned to England, and died in Bath, Somerset, on July 7, 1907.
The original harmony has been modified somewhat by Melvin West (1930- ; see Biographies).
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
Work for the night is coming,
Work through the morning hours;
Work while the dew is sparkling;
Work ‘mid springing flow’rs.
Work when the day grows brighter,
Work in the glowing sun;
Work for the night is coming,
When man’s work is done.
2
Work for the night is coming,
Work thro’ the sunny noon;
Fill brightest hours with labor,
Rest comes sure and soon.
Give every flying minute
Something to keep in store;
Work for the night is coming,
When man works no more.
3
Work for the night is coming,
Under the sunset skies;
While their bright tints are glowing,
Work for daylight flies.
Work till the last beam fadeth,
Fadeth to shine no more;
Work while the night is dark’ning,
When man’s work is o’er.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) John 9:4
Author
Mrs. Anna L. Coghill (1836-1907) alt.
Year Published
1854
Copyright
Arrangement copyright 1984 by Melvin West
Hymn Tune
WORK SONG
Metrical Number
7.6.7.5.D.
Composer
Lowell Mason (1792-1872)
Arranged
Melvin West, 1984 (1930-)
Year Composed
1864
