Adventist Pioneer Library

The Christian — Faith, Hope, and Charity

Speak gently; it is better far

  • No. 687
  • Words Bates.
  • 6 stanzas
  • Words only in the original

Words

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1

Speak gently; it is better farTo rule by love than fear:Speak gently; let no harsh word marThe good we may do here.

2

Speak gently to the young; for theyWill have enough to bear;Pass through this life as best they may,'Tis full of anxious care.

3

Speak gently to the aged one,Grieve not the careworn heart;The sands of life are nearly run,Let them in peace depart.

4

Speak gently to the erring ones;They must have toiled in vain;Perchance unkindness made them so:O, win them back again!

5

Speak gently; 't is a little thing,Dropped in the heart's deep well;The good, the joy, that it may bring,Eternity shall tell.

6

'Tis ours to sow the kindly seed,'Tis His to bid it grow;Our every word and every deedThe harvest time will show.

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «687» (large) at the foot of the left column of p. 224, under «Anon.» of hymn 686, with the italic reference line «179, 399, 227.» (= sing to the tunes of hymns 179, 399 or 227) beside the number; stanza 1 at the foot of the left column, stanzas 2–6 in the right column; stanzas numbered «1» … «6» (no period; written «1.» … here as in the other deliveries of this book); lines 2 and 4 of each stanza indented. The first word «SPEAK» is set in capitals and small capitals; written in ordinary type here. «Bates.» in italics (surname only) after stanza 6. The print sets a thin space before «;», «:» and «!» («gently ;», «fear :», «young ;», «bear ;», «ones ;», «vain ;», «so :», «again !», «well ;», «grow ;»); it is closed up here. In stanza 5 «'t is» is printed as two words (apostrophe-t, space, «is»), unlike the closed «'Tis» of stanzas 2 and 6; kept as printed. No meter is printed (the text is C. M., like the tunes referred to). Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's.

Source
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book (Battle Creek: Review & Herald, 1886/1888)
Where
The Christian — Faith, Hope, and Charity · No. 687 · printed page 224
Checked
lyrics verified (fork reading; parent check pending) · 2026-10-02