Waiting for Christ

The Saviour bids us watch and pray

No. 801
Metre C. M.
Tune ABRIDGE.
Words Thomas Hastings.
Music Smith.
Key E-flat major
Singing key E♭ major
Time 3/4
4 stanzas

Words

The Saviour bids us watch and prayThrough time's brief, fleeting hour,And gives the Spirit's quickening rayTo those who seek its power.

The Saviour bids us watch and pray,Maintain a warrior's strife;Help, Lord, to hear thy voice to-day;Obedience is our life.

The Saviour bids us watch and pray;For quickly he will come,To call us from our toils awayTo our eternal home.

The Saviour bids us watch and pray;For lo! the Judge is near;O may we joyfully obey,And watch till he appear!

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «WAITING FOR CHRIST—CLOSING WORK.»; hymn number «801» (large), tune name «ABRIDGE. C. M.» centred over the music (condensed capitals and small capitals), «SMITH.» at the right in the composer slot (capitals and small capitals). Stanza 1 is interlinear, between the staves, one line per system, with «1.» before «The»: «1. The Sav - iour bids us watch and pray Through time's brief, fleet - ing hour,» under system 1 and «And gives the Spir - it's quickening ray To those who seek its power.» under system 2 («quickening» printed as one word under its three notes, sung «quick'ning»). The first line of stanza 1 has no punctuation at «pray» under the staves (stanzas 2–4 have «pray,» / «pray;»); it is given as printed. The reference line «895, 598, 308.» in italic figures stands centred over stanza 2 (sing also to the tunes of hymns 895, 598 and 308). Stanzas 2–4 are printed as text in the left column below the music, numbered «2»–«4» without periods (written «2.»–«4.» here, as in the other deliveries of this book); lines 2 and 4 are indented. «Thomas Hastings.» in italics after stanza 4. The print sets a thin space before «;» and «!» («strife ;», «lo !», «appear !»); it is closed up here. The apostrophes («time's», «Spirit's», «warrior's») are written straight. Spelling («Saviour», «to-day»), punctuation and capitals are the print's.