Shall It Be in Vain

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At the portals of your heart

Author: Ida M. Budd
Tune: [At the portals of your heart]
Published in 1 hymnal

Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 At the portals of your heart,
Waiting from the world apart,
Lo! a kingly form doth stand
Knocking still with pierced hand.
Knocking gently at the door
Where He oft has knocked before,
In His weariness and pain,
Sinner shall He knock in vain?

Refrain:
Lost one, shall it be in vain,
All His agony and pain?
At the portals of your heart,
Will you let Him knock in vain?

2 Can you in earth’s joys rejoice,
While His tender, loving voice
Still carves entrance at your door,
Can you slight Him evermore?
He has died that you might live;
Peace to you He longs to give;
Since He for your sins was slain,
Can you let Him plead in vain? [Refrain]

3 Will you bid Him hence depart—
Closer lock your cold, proud heart?
Or entreat Him still to stay
Till some more convenient day?
Will you not the door unbar?
Bow before Him as you are?
Hark! He asks you yet again!
Let His asking be not vain? [Refrain]

Source: Gospel Herald in Song #73

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Author: Ida M. Budd

Ida M. Budd was born in 1859 in a log cabin in Saginaw County, Michigan. When she was three years old her parents moved to Milford, Michigan. She loved nature and books. She decided to be a school teacher, receiving her teaching certificate when she was fifteen. Her first poem was published in 1881. She is known for her poems for children. Dianne Shapiro, from "The Singers and Their Songs: sketches of living gospel hymn writers" by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (Chicago: The Rodeheaver Company, 1916) Go to person page >

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First Line:	At the portals of your heart
Title:	Shall It Be in Vain
Author:	Ida M. Budd
Language:	English
Refrain First Line:	Lost one, shall it be in vain
Copyright:	Public Domain