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Advent Hymnals

Christ in Song 275

Before Jehovah's Throne

Words: Watts

Studio

1Before Jehovah's awful throne,
Ye nations, bow with sacred joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone,
He can create and he destroy.

2His sovereign power without our aid
Made us of clay and formed us men;
And when like wandering sheep we strayed,
He brought us to his fold again.

3We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs,
High as the heavens our voices raise;
And earth with her ten thousand tongues
Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise.

4Wide as the world is thy command,
Vast as eternity thy love;
Firm as a rock thy truth shall stand,
When rolling years shall cease to move.

Words
Watts
Also sung to
St. Anne (SDA Hymnal #82); Duke Street (Hymns and Tunes 1886 #19)

The verse

Meter
8.8.8.8
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 62% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Before Jehovah's awful throne,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
Ye nations, bow with sacred joy;//˘/˘/˘/8B
Know that the Lord is God alone,/˘˘/˘/˘/8A
He can create and he destroy.˘˘˘/˘˘˘/8B

Verse 2

His sovereign power without our aid˘/˘/˘˘//˘/10A
Made us of clay and formed us men;/˘˘/˘/˘/8B
And when like wandering sheep we strayed,˘///˘˘/˘/9A
He brought us to his fold again.˘/˘˘˘/˘/8B

Verse 3

We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs,////˘/˘/8A
High as the heavens our voices raise;/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/10B
And earth with her ten thousand tongues˘/˘˘//˘/8C
Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise.˘///˘/˘/8B

Verse 4

Wide as the world is thy command,/˘˘/˘/˘/8A
Vast as eternity thy love;/˘˘/˘˘//8B
Firm as a rock thy truth shall stand,/˘˘///˘/8A
When rolling years shall cease to move.//˘/˘/˘/8C

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.