These words were written by Knowles Shaw (1834-1878), of Venice. Ohio.  It is based on Ecclesiastes 11:4, 6; and Psalm 126:6.  While still an infant, Shaw moved with his parents to Indiana, but when only 12 years old he was bereaved of his father, who bequeathed to him his violin.  He quickly learned to play it and was soon earning more by playing at dances and at concerts than he was by working on the farm.  So he gave up farm work and earned his living as a musician, a singer, and an entertainer.  However, after dedicating his musical talent to the Lord, he began conducting revival meetings from 1859 onward, becoming an itinerant preacher and singing evangelist.  Unfortunately, on returning to Columbus, Mississippi, from an evangelistic crusade in the Dallas, Texas, he lost his life in railway accident near Mckinney; he was the only fatality.  

             The tune, an unnamed gospel song, was composed by George A. Minor (1845-1904), who followed the fashion current in his day of repeating the words of the theme of the song several times and using the last line of the stanza to form a refrain.  The song was first published in Precious Hymns, 1870, by Bethany Sabbath school of Philadelphia, with this note: “Printed for our own use and cannot be sold.”