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Hymns and Tunes 1886 461

Ask Not to Be Excused

Words: F. E. BeldenMusic: F. E. Belden

1Ask not to be excused, There's earnest work to do; Stand ready to be used, Ask not to be excused, The Master calls today; Too long hast thou re-fused, Ask not to be excused, There's danger in delay; That wondrous love a-bused.

RefrainCome, O come, The Master's work to do, to-day, While Jesus in-ter-cedes, O come and be for-giv'n.

2Where God may station you. His invitation kind To thee has oft been giv'n; Now hast-en to be true, The harvest fields are white, The laborers are few; For-ev-er turns a-way. While Mercy gently pleads And points the way to heav'n.

3Accept, and thou shalt find 'Tis sweet to work for Heav'n, Come, O come, Jesus the joy de-lights, The Master's work to do. to-day, While Jesus in-ter-cedes, O come and be for-giv'n.

4Ask not to be excused, Come, O come today, Stand ready to be used.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
54
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 46% of beats fit
Rhyme
A
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Ask not to be excused, There's earnest work to do; Stand ready to be used, Ask not to be excused, The Master calls today; Too long hast thou re-fused, Ask not to be excused, There's danger in delay; That wondrous love a-bused./˘˘˘˘///˘/˘˘//˘˘˘//˘˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/////˘//˘˘˘˘///˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/54A

Verse 2

Where God may station you. His invitation kind To thee has oft been giv'n; Now hast-en to be true, The harvest fields are white, The laborers are few; For-ev-er turns a-way. While Mercy gently pleads And points the way to heav'n.//˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘?//˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘///˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/54A

Verse 3

Accept, and thou shalt find 'Tis sweet to work for Heav'n, Come, O come, Jesus the joy de-lights, The Master's work to do. to-day, While Jesus in-ter-cedes, O come and be for-giv'n.˘/˘/////˘/˘//˘//˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘///˘/˘/˘/˘˘??41A

Verse 4

Ask not to be excused, Come, O come today, Stand ready to be used./˘˘˘˘//˘/˘///˘˘˘/17A

Refrain

Come, O come, The Master's work to do, to-day, While Jesus in-ter-cedes, O come and be for-giv'n./˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘///˘/˘/˘/˘˘??23A

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.