Bible Songs — Scriptures, Law, Sabbath

Ask for the Old Paths

Ask for the old paths, by the prophets trod;

No. 1310
Tune ASK FOR THE OLD PATHS.
Words F. E. B.
Music F. E. Belden.
Key F major
Singing key E♭ major
Time 4/4
3 stanzas

Words

Ask for the old paths, by the prophets trod;Ask for the old paths, leading up to God;If you are trav'ling in a pathway new,'Tis not the Bible that's guiding you.

Chorus.

Ask for the old paths, walk in the old paths;Christ and the prophets trod the way before:Ask for the old paths, walk in the old paths,Leading away to the better shore.

Christ and the prophets traveled hand in hand;Heeding the Bible, we with them must stand;But when we walk with custom for a guide,How soon to error we turn aside!

Then, being honest, search, and you shall findChrist by his teaching proves the law divine;He by the prophets showed his gospel true;So law and gospel we offer you.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: hymn number «1310» (large) at the left, title «Ask for the Old Paths.» centred (display capitals and small capitals); under it a Scripture epigraph in two lines (given below); «F. E. B.» (the words) at the left and «F. E. BELDEN.» (the music, capitals and small capitals) at the right above system 1; «CHORUS.» in bold capitals above system 3; «Copyrighted 1886 by F. E. Belden.» centred under the music, folio «521» below it. No meter, no tune name other than the title, no reference line, no running head. The three stanzas are interlinear under the melody staff of systems 1–2, numbered «1.»–«3.» in system 1; the CHORUS is printed once, under the treble staff of systems 3–4, and is sung after every stanza. Each printed line of words carries two verse lines; they are given here one verse line per line. The print sets a thin space before «;», «:» and «!»; it is closed up here. Words divided under the notes are joined («Bi-ble», «Bi - ble», «cus-tom», «er - ror», «a-side!», «gos-pel», «of -fer», «a - way», «bet-ter»). Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's («traveled», «trav'ling», «'Tis»); apostrophes and quotation marks are written straight.