Adventist Pioneer Library

The Christian — Hymns for Social Worship

Vain are all terrestrial pleasures

  • No. 502
  • Words David E. Ford.
  • 3 stanzas
  • Words only in the original

Words

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1

Vain are all terrestrial pleasures,Mixed with dross the purest gold;Seek we then for heavenly treasures—Treasures never waxing old.Let our best affections centerOn the things around the throne:There no thief can ever enter;Moth and rust are there unknown.

2

Earthly joys no longer please us;Here we would renounce them all;Seek our only rest in Jesus—Him our Lord and Master call.Faith, our languid spirits cheering,Points to brighter worlds above;Bids us look for his appearing,Bids us triumph in his love.

3

May our light be always burning,And our loins be girded round,Waiting for our Lord's returning—Longing for the welcome sound.Thus the Christian life adorning,Never need we be afraid,Should he come at night or morning,Early dawn or evening shade.

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «502» (large) at the top of the right column of p. 163, under the music of hymn 501, with the reference line «499, 844.» in italics beside it (sing to the tune of hymn 499 or 844); stanzas 1–3, «David E. Ford.» in italics at the end. The first word «VAIN» is set in capitals and small capitals. The print sets a thin space before «;» and «:» («gold ;», «throne :», «enter ;», «us ;», «all ;», «above ;»); it is closed up here. The printer's curly apostrophe is written straight («Lord's»). Lines 2, 4, 6, 8 of each stanza are indented in the print. Spelling («center»), punctuation (the dashes «treasures—», «Jesus—», «returning—») and capitals are the print's. No meter is printed (the text is 8s & 7s. D., as both referenced tunes).

Source
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book (Battle Creek: Review & Herald, 1886/1888)
Where
The Christian — Hymns for Social Worship · No. 502 · printed page 163
Checked
lyrics verified (fork reading; parent check pending) · 2026-10-01