Nothing But Leaves

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Nothing but leaves! the Spirit grieves

Author: Lucy E. Akerman
Tune: [Nothing but leaves! The Spirit grieves] (Vail)
Published in 121 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Nothing but leaves! The Spirit grieves
O'er years of wasted life;
O'er sins indulged while conscience slept,
O'er vows and promises unkept,
And reap from years of strife
Nothing but leaves! Nothing but leaves!

2 Nothing but leaves! No gathered sheaves
Of life's fair ripening grain:
We sow our seeds; lo! tares and weeds,
Words, idle words, for earnest deeds,
Then reap, with toil and pain,
Nothing but leaves! Nothing but leaves!

3 Nothing but leaves! Sad mem'ry weaves
No vail to hide the past;
And as we trace our weary way,
And count each lost and misspent day,
We sadly find at last
Nothing but leaves! Nothing but leaves.

4 Ah, who shall thus The Master meet,
And bring but withered leaves?
Ah, who shall at the Saviour's feet,
Before the awful judgment seat
Lay down for golden sheaves,
Nothing but leaves! Nothing but leaves!

Source: Christ in Song: for all religious services nearly one thousand best gospel hymns, new and old with responsive scripture readings (Rev. and Enl.) #131

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Author: Lucy E. Akerman

Akerman, Lucy Evelina, née Metcalf. An American Unitarian writer, daughter of Thomas Metcalf, born at Wrentham, Mass., Feb. 21, 1816, married to Charles Akerman, of Portsmouth, N.H, resided at Providence, R.I., and died there Feb. 21,1874. Mrs. Akerman is known as a hymn writer through her:— Nothing but leaves, the Spirit grieves, which was suggested by a sermon by M. D. Conway, and first published in the N. Y. Christian Observer, cir. 1858. In the Scottish Family Treasury, 1859, p. 136, it is given without name or signature, and was thus introduced into Great Britain. In America it is chiefly in use amongst the Baptists. Its popularity in Great Britain arose out of its incorporation by Mr. Sankey, in his Sacred Songs & Solos, No. 34, a… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Nothing but leaves! the Spirit grieves
Title:	Nothing But Leaves
Author:	Lucy E. Akerman
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

Mark 11:13
(hymns)

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Notes

Nothing but leaves, the Spirit grieves, ...was suggested by a sermon by M. D. Conway, and first published in the N. Y. Christian Observer, cir. 1858. In the Scottish Family Treasury, 1859, p. 136, it is given without name or signature, and was thus introduced into Great Britain. In America it is chiefly in use amongst the Baptists. Its popularity in Great Britain arose out of its incorporation by Mr. Sankey, in his Sacred Songs & Solos, No. 34, and his rendering of it in the evangelistic services of Mr. Moody. The air to which it is sung is by an American composer, S. J. Vail.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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