Adventist Pioneer Library

Worship — The Sabbath

Closing Sabbath! Ah, how soon

  • No. 245
  • Words Anon.
  • 4 stanzas
  • Words only in the original

Words

⤢ Full screen
1

Closing Sabbath! Ah, how soon
Have thy sacred moments passed:
Scarcely shines the morn, the noon,
Ere the evening brings thy last!
And another Sabbath flies,
Solemn witness! to the skies.

2

What is the report it bears
To the secret place of God?
Does it speak of worldly cares,
Thoughts which cling to earth's low sod?
Or has sweet communion shone
Through its hours from God alone?

3

Could we hope the day was spent
Prayerfully, with constant heart,
We might yield it up content,
Knowing, though so soon it part,
We should see a better day,
Which could never pass away.

4

God of Sabbaths, O, forgive
That we use thy gifts so ill;
Teach us daily how to live
That we ever may fulfill
All thy gracious love designed,
Giving Sabbaths to mankind.

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «245» (large) with the reference line «1114, 489, 827.» in bold italic figures beside it (sing to the tune of hymn 1114, 489 or 827); stanza 1 begins at the foot of the left column of p. 81, below hymn 244 (lines 1–2), and continues at the top of the right column (lines 3–6), followed by stanzas 2–4 and «Anon.» in italics. The first word «CLOSING» is set in capitals and small capitals. The print sets a thin space before «!», «:», «?» and «;» («Sabbath !», «passed :», «last !», «witness !», «God ?», «alone ?», «ill ;»); it is closed up here. Stanza 1 line 6 «Solemn witness! to the skies.» has the exclamation mark inside the line, as printed. The printer's curly apostrophe is written straight («earth's»). Lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are indented in the print, lines 5–6 further. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's. No meter is printed (the text is 7s, six lines, like SABBATH).

Source
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book (Battle Creek: Review & Herald, 1886/1888)
Where
Worship — The Sabbath · No. 245 · printed page 81
Checked
lyrics verified (fork reading; parent check pending) · 2026-10-01