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Hymns for Second Advent Believers 141

WAITING FOR JESUS

1LONG for my Saviour I've been waiting,
Longtime have watched by night and day;
Feared, lest my faith and hope abating,
I should lose courage by the way.

RefrainJesus soon is coming;
This is my song—
Cheers the heart when joys depart,
And foes are pressing strong.

2Here in this vale of sin and sorrow,
I have been wandering many years;
Still looking for that happy morrow,
When God would wipe away my tears.
Jesus soon is coming, &c.

3Oft times the Tempter comes in power,
Fain then would lead my steps astray;
But when the clouds begin to lower,
Hope turns the darkness into day.
Jesus soon is coming, &c.

4O, it will be but little longer,
I must these many woes endure;
Then let my faith and hope grow stronger,
My Father's promise still is sure.
Jesus soon is coming, &c.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter: 10.8.9.8
Foot: iambic (da-DUM) · 51% of beats fit
Rhyme: ABCBD

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

LONG for my Saviour I've been waiting,/˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘10A

Longtime have watched by night and day;//˘/˘/˘/8B

Feared, lest my faith and hope abating,//˘/˘/˘/˘9A

I should lose courage by the way.˘˘//˘˘˘/8B

Verse 2

Here in this vale of sin and sorrow,/˘˘/˘/˘/˘9A

I have been wandering many years;˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/9B

Still looking for that happy morrow,//˘˘˘/˘/˘9A

When God would wipe away my tears.//˘/˘/˘/8C

Jesus soon is coming, &c./˘/˘/˘/7D

Verse 3

Oft times the Tempter comes in power,//˘/˘/˘/˘9A

Fain then would lead my steps astray;//˘/˘/˘/8B

But when the clouds begin to lower,˘/˘/˘/˘/˘9C

Hope turns the darkness into day.//˘/˘/˘/8B

Jesus soon is coming, &c./˘/˘/˘/7D

Verse 4

O, it will be but little longer,˘˘˘˘˘/˘/˘9A

I must these many woes endure;˘/˘/˘/˘/8B

Then let my faith and hope grow stronger,//˘/˘///˘9C

My Father's promise still is sure.˘/˘/˘/˘/8B

Jesus soon is coming, &c./˘/˘/˘/7D

Refrain

Jesus soon is coming;/˘/˘/˘6A

This is my song—˘˘˘/4B

Cheers the heart when joys depart,/˘///˘/7C

And foes are pressing strong.˘/˘/˘/6B

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.