Skip to content

A copy of Advent Hymnals. Open this page on adventhymnals.org →

Advent Hymnals

Christ in Song 231

THE MATCHLESS WORTH

Words: S. MEDLEY

Studio

1O could I speak the matchless worth, O could I sound the glories forth Which in my Saviour shine! I'd soar and touch the heav'nly strings, And vie with Gabriel while he sings In notes almost divine.

2I'd sing the precious blood he spilt, My ransom from the dreadful guilt Of sin and wrath divine; I'd sing his glorious righteousness, In which all-perfect, heav'nly dress My soul shall ever shine.

3I'd sing the characters he bears, And all the forms of love he wears, Exalted on his throne; In loftiest songs of sweetest praise, I would to everlasting days Make all his glories known.

4Well, the delightful day will come When my dear Lord will bring me home, And I shall see his face; Then with my Saviour, Brother, Friend, A blest eternity I'll spend, Triumphant in his grace.

Also sung to
Ariel (Hymns and Tunes 1886 #123)

The verse

Meter
46
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 37% of beats fit
Rhyme
A
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

O could I speak the matchless worth, O could I sound the glories forth Which in my Saviour shine! I'd soar and touch the heav'nly strings, And vie with Gabriel while he sings In notes almost divine.˘˘˘/˘??/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘˘///˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘///˘/46A

Verse 2

I'd sing the precious blood he spilt, My ransom from the dreadful guilt Of sin and wrath divine; I'd sing his glorious righteousness, In which all-perfect, heav'nly dress My soul shall ever shine.//˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘///˘/˘˘/˘˘˘˘???/˘/˘/˘/˘/45A

Verse 3

I'd sing the characters he bears, And all the forms of love he wears, Exalted on his throne; In loftiest songs of sweetest praise, I would to everlasting days Make all his glories known.//˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘///˘/˘/45A

Verse 4

Well, the delightful day will come When my dear Lord will bring me home, And I shall see his face; Then with my Saviour, Brother, Friend, A blest eternity I'll spend, Triumphant in his grace./˘˘/˘/˘//˘//˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘//˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘//˘/˘˘˘/45A

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.