Adventist Pioneer Library

The Sinner — Warning and Invitation

Behold a Stranger at the door!

  • No. 393
  • Words Joseph Grigg.
  • 5 stanzas
  • Words only in the original

Words

⤢ Full screen
1

Behold a Stranger at the door!He gently knocks, has knocked before,Has waited long, is waiting still;You treat no other friend so ill.

2

O, lovely attitude! he standsWith melting heart and laden hands;O, matchless kindness! and he showsThis matchless kindness to his foes.

3

But will he prove a friend indeed?He will, the very friend you need—The Friend of sinners; yes, 't is he,With garments dyed on Calvary.

4

Rise, touched with gratitude divine,Turn out his enemy and thine—That soul-destroying monster, sin—And let the heavenly Stranger in.

5

Admit him ere his anger burn;His feet, departed, ne'er return:Admit him, or the hour 's at handWhen at his door denied you 'll stand.

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «393» (large) with the reference line «787, 542, 51.» in italics beside it (sing to the tune of hymn 787, 542 or 51); the hymn heads the right column of p. 128 (beside the text of hymn 391) and ends in that column with «Joseph Grigg.» in italics (swash «J»). The first word «BEHOLD» is set in capitals and small capitals. The stanza numbers are printed without a full stop («1 BEHOLD»), numbered «1.» here. The print sets a thin space before «!», «;», «?» and «:» («door !», «still ;», «attitude !», «hands ;», «kindness !», «indeed ?», «sinners ;», «burn ;», «return :»); it is closed up here. «'t is», «hour 's» and «you 'll» are printed with a space (between the apostrophe and «is», and between the word and the apostrophe) and are kept so, as in HT_0083, HT_0122 and HT_0317; «ne'er» is closed. The printer's curly apostrophes are written straight. Dashes as printed («need—», «thine—», «sin—»). All four lines of each stanza are set flush (no alternate indent). Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's. No meter is printed (the text is L. M., 8.8.8.8, like the three tunes of the reference line).

Source
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book (Battle Creek: Review & Herald, 1886/1888)
Where
The Sinner — Warning and Invitation · No. 393 · printed page 128
Checked
lyrics verified (fork reading; parent check pending) · 2026-10-01