The Sinner — Warning and Invitation

Why do we waste on trifling cares

No. 391
Metre L. M.
Tune BERA.
Words Philip Doddridge.
Music John E. Gould.
Key E-flat major
Singing key E♭ major
Time 2/2
4 stanzas

Words

Why do we waste on trifling caresThat life which God's compassion spares,While in the various range of thought,The one thing needful is forgot?

Shall God invite us from above?Shall Jesus urge his dying love?Shall troubled conscience give us pain?And all these pleas unite in vain?

Not so our eyes will always viewThose objects which we now pursue;Not so will heaven and hell appear,When death's decisive hour is near.

Almighty God, thy grace impart;Fix deep conviction on each heart;Nor let us waste on trifling caresThat life which thy compassion spares.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «THE SINNER—WARNING AND INVITATION.»; hymn number «391» (large), tune name «BERA. L. M.» centred over the music (condensed capitals and small capitals), «JOHN E. GOULD.» at the right (capitals and small capitals). Stanza 1 is interlinear, between the staves, one line per system, with «1.» before «Why»: «tri - fling», «compas - sion» and «for - got» are hyphenated with spaced hyphens under the notes, «va-rious» with a tight one; «compas» is printed unbroken although it is sung on two chords, and «needful» unbroken under two half chords. Stanzas 2–4 are printed as text in the left column below the music, under the reference line «215, 108, 136.» in italics (= may also be sung to the tunes of hymns 215, 108 or 136), with the stanza numbers printed without a full stop («2 Shall»), numbered «2.» here like stanza 1. «Philip Doddridge.» in italics after stanza 4. The print sets a thin space before «?» and «;» («above ?», «love ?», «pain ?», «vain ?», «pursue ;», «impart ;», «heart ;»); it is closed up here. The printer's curly apostrophes are written straight («God's», «death's»). Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's (no comma after «cares» in stanza 1). All four lines of each stanza are set flush in the print (no alternate indent).