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Advent Hymnals

Christ in Song 553

A Soldier of the Cross

Words: I. WattsMusic: T. A. Arne

Studio

1Am I a soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own his cause, Or blush to speak his name?

2Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas?

3Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?

4Sure I must fight, if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord;
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by thy word.

The verse

Meter
15.14
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 58% of beats fit
Rhyme
AB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Am I a soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb?˘˘˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘˘˘˘/15A
And shall I fear to own his cause, Or blush to speak his name?˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/14B

Verse 2

Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease,/˘˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘/15A
While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas?//˘/˘/˘/˘///˘/14A

Verse 3

Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood?˘/˘/˘˘˘//˘˘/˘/14A
Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?˘˘//˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/14B

Verse 4

Sure I must fight, if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord;/˘//˘˘˘///˘/˘/14A
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by thy word.//˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘//14B

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.