Adventist Pioneer Library

Old Melodies

A thrilling cry—we hear the sound

  • No. 1148
  • Words Anon.
  • 3 stanzas
  • Words only in the original

Words

⤢ Full screen
1

A thrilling cry—we hear the sound;The faithful watchmen lift their voice;From land to land the world around—It bids the saints rejoice:Ye pilgrims, rise, break forth and singThe glorious coming of your King;The thrilling cry—we hear it sound,"Prepare to meet your Lord."

2

Blow, watchmen, blow the certain sound,For dark and dangerous is the night;And daring scoffers gather round—The evil servants smite.Ye faithful ones the strict watch keep,With lamps well trimmed, and do not sleep—The thrilling cry, we hear it sound,"Prepare to meet your Lord."

3

In earth's dark hour God's word gives light,Its rays dispel the thickening gloom;The path to glory now is bright—The Bridegroom soon will come.Then lift your voices, saints, and singYour sweetest strains to Zion's King—The thrilling cry—we hear it sound,"Prepare to meet your Lord."

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «MISCELLANEOUS—OLD MELODIES.»; hymn number «1148» (large) at the head of the right column, below the music of 1147, with no tune name, metre or reference line (no «3, 47, 215.»-type line is printed over stanza 1). The hymn is in the metre of 1147 (8.8.8.6.8.8.8.6) and stands under it; no tune is named. Three stanzas of eight lines, numbered «1»–«3» without periods (written «1.»–«3.» here, as in the other deliveries of this book); lines 2, 4, 6, 8 are indented. The first word of stanza 1, «THRILLING», is in small capitals after a capital «A» (written «A thrilling»). «Anon.» in bold italics after stanza 3. The print sets a thin space before «;» and «:» («sound ;», «rejoice :»); it is closed up here. In stanza 3 line 6 a full-stop-sized dot stands, without a space, after «strains» («strains.to»); it is read as a speck, not as punctuation (see `uncertainties.md`). Line 6 of stanza 2 is set tight («With lampswelltrimmed,and do notsleep—»); the words are spaced here. Stanza 2 line 7 has a comma after «cry» where stanzas 1 and 3 have a dash; kept as printed. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's.

Source
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book (Battle Creek: Review & Herald, 1886/1888)
Where
Old Melodies · No. 1148 · printed page 390
Checked
lyrics verified (fork reading; parent check pending) · 2026-10-02