The Sinner — Warning and Invitation

There is a line by us unseen

No. 400
Words J. Addison Alexander.
Singing key A♭ major
4 stanzas

Sung to ORTONVILLE (hymn 179)

Words

There is a line by us unseen,That crosses every path,—The hidden boundary betweenGod's patience and his wrath.

O! where is this mysterious bourneBy which our path is crossed,—Beyond which God himself hath swornThat he who goes is lost?

How far may we go on in sin?How long will God forbear?Where does hope end? And where beginThe confines of despair?

An answer from the skies is sent:"Ye that from God depart,While it is called to-day, repent,And harden not your heart."

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «400» (large) with the reference line «179, 201, 227.» in italics beside it (sing to the tune of hymn 179, 201 or 227); the hymn stands in the lower half of the left column of p. 130, below hymn 399, and ends at the foot of that column with «J. Addison Alexander.» in italics (the italic J has the swash form that looks like a «7»; the page OCR read «7. Addison Alexander.»). The first word «THERE» is set in capitals and small capitals («T» + «HERE»). The print sets a thin space before «?», «:» and «!» («lost ?», «sin ?», «forbear ?», «despair ?», «sent :», «O !»); it is closed up here. The printer's curly apostrophe and quotation marks are written straight («God's», «"Ye … heart."»). Lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are indented in the print. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's («bourne», «to-day», «path,—», «crossed,—»). No meter is printed (the text is C. M., 8.6.8.6, like the three tunes of the reference line).