Skip to content

A copy of Advent Hymnals. Open this page on adventhymnals.org →

Hymns and Tunes 1886 416

O Jesus! thou art standing

1O Jesus! thou art standing Outside the fast-closed door,
In lowly patience waiting To pass the threshold o'er:
We bear the name of Christians, Thy name and sign we bear;
O, shame, thrice shame upon us! To keep thee standing there.

2O Jesus! thou art knocking; And lo! that hand is scarred,
And thorns thy brow encircle, And tears thy face have marred:
O, love that passeth knowledge, So patiently to wait!
O, sin that hath no equal, So fast to bar the gate!

3O Jesus! thou art pleading In accents meek and low,—
"I died for you, my children, And will ye treat me so?"
O Lord, with shame and sorrow We open now the door;
Dear Saviour, enter, enter, And leave us nevermore!

Scripture
Revelation 3:20

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
14.13.13.13
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 39% of beats fit
Rhyme
AABB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

O Jesus! thou art standing Outside the fast-closed door,˘/˘///˘//˘???/14A
In lowly patience waiting To pass the threshold o'er:˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘///13B
We bear the name of Christians, Thy name and sign we bear;˘/˘/˘/˘//˘/˘/13C
O, shame, thrice shame upon us! To keep thee standing there.˘///˘/˘˘///˘/13C

Verse 2

O Jesus! thou art knocking; And lo! that hand is scarred,˘/˘///˘˘/˘/˘/13A
And thorns thy brow encircle, And tears thy face have marred:˘///˘/˘˘///˘/13A
O, love that passeth knowledge, So patiently to wait!˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘˘/13B
O, sin that hath no equal, So fast to bar the gate!˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/13B

Verse 3

O Jesus! thou art pleading In accents meek and low,—˘/˘///˘˘/˘/˘/13A
"I died for you, my children, And will ye treat me so?"˘/˘˘˘/˘˘˘//˘˘13A
O Lord, with shame and sorrow We open now the door;˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/13B
Dear Saviour, enter, enter, And leave us nevermore!//˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/14B

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.