Worship — The Sabbath

Closing Sabbath! Ah, how soon

No. 245
Words Anon.
Singing key B♭ major
4 stanzas

Sung to ROCK OF AGES (hymn 1114)

Words

Closing Sabbath! Ah, how soonHave 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.

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

Could we hope the day was spentPrayerfully, 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.

God of Sabbaths, O, forgiveThat we use thy gifts so ill;Teach us daily how to liveThat we ever may fulfillAll 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).