Sung by Mrs. Mattie Stover Fayetteville, Arkansas June 4, 1959
Reel 317, Item 10
In the Vineyard of Lord
In the vineyard of my Lord,
I love to live and labor,
And be obedient to my God,
Until my dying hour.
I love to see the lilies grow,
And view them all a-standing,
In their appointed lots below,
Just as the Lord commanded.
We oft-times meet both night and day,
A faithful band of soldiers,
We read and sing, we preach and pray,
And find the Lord most precious.
But soon we'll sing a parting song,
If we are so disposed,
The time will shortly roll around,
Our meeting must be closed.
In different regions we must dwell,
Distantly situated;
May truth and justice guide our way,
And God from eveil keep us.
But while I sing this mournful song,
My heart is deep-lie wounded;
Perhaps we all will meet no more,
Here in the congregation.
Poor mourning souls, no longer wait,
If you are but willing,
Eternal life you may receive,
Just while we now are singing.
Oh, just be reconciled to God,
Believe on the Lord Jesus,
Rely upon His precious Word,
And you will find Him precious.
Collected by Mary Celestia Parler
(Cont'd)In the Vineyard of Lord Reel 317, Item 10 Continued
Poor sinner, now, I turn to you,
You've had a faithful warning,
You've slighted the offers of Gospel truth,
Still on your way to ruin.
But if you die, where will you go,
After the Judgment Morning?
You'll hear your doom and sink to woe,
Into eternal ruin.
She has a typewritten copy of these words, the paper so ancient and cracked that it is patched in many places. It was a favorite song with her mother and father. Her husband, Mr. A.L. Stover typed it off for her when he and she were courting—and they have been married sixty years! She reads what he typed at the bottom of the sheet:
"Written by Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Stover."
MCP: Did they make it up, or just copy it?
Mrs. Stover: Hit come out of a—one o' these ole-time hymn books,
without any notes, you know. I've heard this ever since I was a
little child...My parents was named Lane...grew up in Madison County, at Kingston.
