Not Now, But By and By

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We know not why dark clouds overcast

Author: Johnson Oatman
Tune: [We know not why dark clouds overcast]
Published in 1 hymnal

Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 We know not why dark clouds o’ercast,
And hide from us the sky;
But God will show us why at last,
Not now, but by and by.

Chorus:
Not now, not now,
Not now, but by and by;
God’s wondrous plans we all shall know,
Not now, but by and by.

2 We know not now why grief and pain,
So often bring a sigh,
But God sometime will make it plain,
Not now, but by and by. [Chorus]

3 We cannot tell why ev’ry day,
We see the weeping eye;
But God will wipe all tears away,
Not now, but by and by. [Chorus]

4 We do not know just what is meant,
By “Mansions” in the sky;
But we will know when life is spent,
Not now, but by and by. [Chorus]

Source: Songs for Work and Worship #119

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Author: Johnson Oatman

Johnson Oatman, Jr., son of Johnson and Rachel Ann Oatman, was born near Medford, N. J., April 21, 1856. His father was an excellent singer, and it always delighted the son to sit by his side and hear him sing the songs of the church. Outside of the usual time spent in the public schools, Mr. Oatman received his education at Herbert's Academy, Princetown, N. J., and the New Jersey Collegiate Institute, Bordentown, N. J. At the age of nineteen he joined the M.E. Church, and a few years later he was granted a license to preach the Gospel, and still later he was regularly ordained by Bishop Merrill. However, Mr. Oatman only serves as a local preacher. For many years he was engaged with his father in the mercantile business at Lumberton… Go to person page >

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First Line:	We know not why dark clouds overcast
Title:	Not Now, But By and By
Author:	Johnson Oatman
Language:	English
Refrain First Line:	Not now, not now
Copyright:	Public Domain