Farther Along Lyrics
1 Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder,
Why it should be thus all the day long;
While there are others living about us,
Never molested though in the wrong.
Refrain:
Farther along we’ll know all about it,
Farther along we’ll understand why;
Cheer up, don’t worry, live in the sunshine,
We’ll understand it all by and by.
2 When death has come and taken our loved ones,
It leaves our home so lonely and drear;
Then do we wonder why others prosper,
Living so wicked year after year. [Refrain]
3 Faithful till death said our loving Master,
A few more days to labor and wait;
Toils of the road will then seem as nothing,
As we sweep through the beautiful gate. [Refrain]
4 When we see Jesus coming in glory,
When He comes from His home in the sky;
Then we shall meet Him in that bright mansion,
We’ll understand it all by and by. [Refrain]
Farther Along Hymn History
The authorship of this hymn, Farther Along, is disputed with various names being mentioned in various hymns and William Buel Stevens is one of those mentioned as author.
Considering the hardships and heartaches that W.B. Stevens went through I am tempted to believe that he is the rightful author.
My argument is based on the message of this hymn. It is one of those songs that expresses the real feelings of Christians who go through a tough time and are dismayed that people who do not believe appear to be doing well than Christians.
Even David in Psalms 73:3 is dismayed too, “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked”.
Some Christians expect God to favor them above those who do not believe.
They are therefore dismayed to see evil people making millions of dollars while they struggle to make ends meet.
Unfortunately, we cannot have all the answers to the questions we have in this life.
As farther along we will understand it all as today’s song says.
When Christ comes, we will understand it all and we will have our questions answered.
Now let’s go back to the author of this hymn, Mr W.B. Smith.
W.B. Stevens experienced a lot of heartaches in his life.
His own dad was falsely accused of mutiny while serving as a soldier and spent a few years in jail before being cleared.
His uncle died of heart disease at 48 and to make matters worse his son died from heart disease too at the tender age of seventeen a few years later.
And W.B. Stevens children too died before him, and his wife died. He therefore knew what it means to fill like God has abandoned you.
This song is therefore an expression of his feelings at all these losses in his life.
Below are more hymns’ stories and lyrics:
Faith of Our Fathers Living Still
