Bible Songs — Invitation

The Gate Ajar for Me

There is a gate that stands ajar,

No. 1270
Tune THE GATE AJAR FOR ME.
Words Mrs. Lydia Baxter.
Music S. J. Vail, by per. Philip Phillips.
Key C major
Singing key B♭ major
Time 6/8
4 stanzas

Words

There is a gate that stands ajar,And through its portals gleaming,A radiance from the cross afar,The Saviour's love revealing.

Refrain.

O depth of mercy! can it beThat gate was left ajar for me?For me, for me?Was left ajar for me?

That gate ajar stands free for allWho seek through it salvation;The rich and poor, the great and small,Of ev'ry tribe and nation.

Press onward, then, tho' foes may frown;While mercy's gate is open;Accept the cross, and win the crown,Love's everlasting token.

Beyond the river's brink we'll layThe cross that here is given,And bear the crown of life away,And love Him more in heaven.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: hymn number «1270» (large, left), title «THE GATE AJAR FOR ME.» centred (condensed capitals and small capitals, «The Gate Ajar for Me.»); under it, centred, the epigraph «"The gates of it shall not be shut at all by day ; for there shall be no night there."—Rev. 21 : 25.» (old-style figures); on the next line «MRS. LYDIA BAXTER.» at the left (words) and «S. J. VAIL, by per. PHILIP PHILLIPS.» at the right (music; the names in capitals and small capitals, «by per.» in lower case). No meter, no tune name other than the title, no reference line, no footer (only the folio «486»). All four stanzas are interlinear, numbered «1.»–«4.», between the staves of systems 1–2; «REFRAIN.» (bold capitals) stands over system 3, and the refrain words are printed once, under systems 3–4; the refrain is sung after every stanza. Under system 4 there are two lines of words: the upper one reads «For me, . . . for me? . . . Was left a - jar for me?» — the «. . .» after «me,» and «me?» stand under the held (tied or slurred) second note and are not words; the lower one, aligned with the notes that the tenor and bass sing after a rest, carries their echo «For me,» … «for me?» — given below after the refrain. Each printed line of words carries two verse lines; they are given here one verse line per line. The second line of stanza 3 ends without a punctuation mark in the print («is o - pen»). The print sets a thin space before «;» and «?» and around the colon of «21 : 25»; it is closed up here; curly quotes and apostrophes are written straight. Spelling, capitals and punctuation are the print's («Saviour's», «ev'ry», «tho'», «Him»).