Can You Wait?

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Could you wait, could you wait if a brother were lost

Author: F. E. Belden
Tune: [Speed away, speed away on your mission of light] (Woodbury)
Published in 2 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Could you wait, could you wait if a brother were lost
In the dark, stormy night, and a flood to be cross'd?
If you knew how to guide him from danger and death,
Would you sit idly singing sweet carols of faith?
O, the faith born above
Is the faith full of love!
Could you wait? Could you wait? Could you wait?

2 Could you wait, could you wait if a sister should cry,
"I am wall'd in by fire! I'm not ready to die!"
If her cottage or palace were circled with flame,
And you heard her voice calling you, calling by name,
Would you linger to read
Of some beautiful deed?
Could you wait? Could you wait? Could you wait?

3 In the flood, in the flood and the tempest-torn night,
There are brothers now wand'ring who long for the right;
There are sisters as gentle as ever were known,
Whom the fires of perdition surround as their own:
They are yielding their blood
To the flame and the flood,
Can you wait? Can you wait? Can you wait?

Source: Christ in Song: for all religious services nearly one thousand best gospel hymns, new and old with responsive scripture readings (Rev. and Enl.) #704

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Author: F. E. Belden

Belden was born in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1858. He began writing music in his late teenage years after moving to California with his family. For health reasons he later moved to Colorado. He returned to Battle Creek with his wife in the early 1880s, and there he became involved in Adventist Church publishing. F. E. Belden wrote many hymn tunes, gospel songs, and related texts in the early years of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Belden was able to rapidly write both music and poetry together which enabled him to write a song to fit a sermon while it was still being delivered. He also wrote songs for evangelist Billy Sunday. Though Belden’s later years were marred by misunderstandings with the church leadership over his royal… Go to person page >

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