Adventist Pioneer Library

Waiting for Christ

Gracious Father, guard thy children

  • No. 843
  • Metre 8s & 7s. D.
  • Words Anon.
  • 3 stanzas
  • Words only in the original

Words

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1

Gracious Father, guard thy childrenFrom the foe's destructive power;Save, O save them, Lord, from fallingIn this dark and trying hour.Thou wilt surely prove thy people,All our graces must be tried;But thy word illumes our pathway,And in God we still confide.

2

We are in the time of waiting;Soon we shall behold our Lord,Wafted far away from sorrow,To receive our rich reward.Keep us, Lord, till thine appearing,Pure, unspotted from the world;Let thy Holy Spirit cheer usTill thy banner is unfurled.

3

With what joyful exultationShall the saints thy banner see,When the Lord for whom we've waitedShall proclaim the Jubilee!Freedom from this world's pollutions;Freedom from all sin and pain;Freedom from the wiles of Satan,And from death's destructive reign.

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «843» (large) in the right column of p. 278, under the end of hymn 842 («Sidney S. Brewer.»), with the reference line «844, 501, 412.» in italic figures beside it (sing to the tunes of hymns 844 GREENVILLE, 501 AUTUMN or 412 COME, YE SINNERS, all 8s & 7s. D.; no meter is printed — the eight lines of 8 and 7 syllables are 8s & 7s. D., like the referenced tunes). Three stanzas numbered «1»–«3» without periods (written «1.»–«3.» here, as in the other deliveries of this book); lines 2, 4, 6, 8 of each stanza are indented. The first word «GRACIOUS» is set in capitals and small capitals; written «Gracious». «Anon.» in italics, right-aligned after stanza 3. The print sets a thin space before «;» and «!» («power ;», «tried ;», «waiting ;», «world ;», «Jubilee !», «pollutions ;», «pain ;»); it is closed up here. «foe's», «we've», «world's», «death's» with straight apostrophes. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's.

Source
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book (Battle Creek: Review & Herald, 1886/1888)
Where
Waiting for Christ · No. 843 · printed page 278
Checked
lyrics verified (fork reading; parent check pending) · 2026-10-02