CHRISTIAN LIFE >> Watchfulness
SDAH 602
O brother be faithful! soon Jesus will come,
For whom we have waited so long;
O, soon we shall enter our glorious home,
And join in the conqueror’s song.
Text
1
O brother be faithful! soon Jesus will come,
For whom we have waited so long;
O, soon we shall enter our glorious home,
And join in the conqueror’s song.
O brother be faithful!
for why should we prove
Unfaithful to Him who had shown
Such deep, such unbounded and infinite love
Who died to redeem us His own.
2
O brother be faithful! the city of gold,
Prepared for the good and the blest,
Is waiting its portals of pearl to unfold,
And welcome thee into thy rest.
Then, brother be faithful!
not long shall we stay
In weariness here, and forlorn,
Time’s dark night of sorrow is wearing away,
We haste to the glorious morn.
3
O brother be faithful! He soon will descend,
Creation’s omnipotent King,
While legions of angels His chariot attend,
And palm wreaths, of victory bring.
O brother be faithful!
and soon shalt thou hear
They Savior pronounce the glad word,
Well done, faithful servant, they title is clear,
To enter the joy of thy Lord.
4
O brother be faithful! eternity’s years
Shall tell for thy faithfulness now,
When bright smiles of gladness shall scatter thy tears,
A coronet gleam on thy brow.
O brother be faithful!
the promise is sure,
That waits for the faithful and tried;
To reign with the ransomed, immortal and pure,
And ever with Jesus abide.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Matt 25:21; Isa 25:9; Eph 3:18, 19 (b) Rev 21:18, 21 (c) Matt 16:27; Rev 7:9; Matt 25:21 (d) Jas 1:12
Author
Uriah Smith (1832-1903)
Year Published
1853
Theme
WATCHFULNESS
Hymn Tune
FAITHFUL
Metrical Number
11.8.11.8.D.
Composer
Isaac Woodbury (1819-1858)
Year Composed
1847
Get the hymn sheet in other keys here
The Transformation of the Hymn ‘O Brother, Be Faithful’
Today’s congregational singing scene in many Protestant churches is a far cry from what it had been a couple hundred years ago. Aside from the simplicity with which their song service were carried on, their hymnals then were also very different in that it did not contain written notes. At best, it contained words, with a few indications of a metric index — a system that helped them quickly match the verses with a particular tune. Today, churches have fancy hard bound hymnals with notes in 4-part voices, and a companion book to supplement the hymnals in case more information is needed about the hymns.
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Notes
Get to know the hymns a little deeper with the SDA Hymnal Companion. Use our song leader’s notes to engage your congregation in singing with understanding. Even better, involve kids in learning this hymn with our homeschooling materials.
The value of every moment of time is in the returns that come with its wise and faithful use. Jesus asks us to be faithful every moment in being a blessing to others, for which there is no retirement here, but whose reward is beyond what we could even imagine. (Lesson 10, 1st Quarter 2023 – Tuesday, “Begin With Personal Needs”, 3/7/23)
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