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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1876 228

How firm a foundation

Studio

1How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent word! What more can he say than to you he hath said, Who unto the Saviour for refuge have fled?

2Fear not, I am with thee; oh! be not dismayed; For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

3When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

4When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

5E'en down to old age all my people shall prove My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love; And when, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never—no never—no never forsake.

Also sung to
Foundation (Hymns and Tunes 1886 #387)

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
45
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 36% of beats fit
Rhyme
A
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent word! What more can he say than to you he hath said, Who unto the Saviour for refuge have fled?//˘˘/˘//˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘˘˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘˘/˘˘/45A

Verse 2

Fear not, I am with thee; oh! be not dismayed; For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand./˘˘˘˘/˘˘˘˘/˘˘˘//˘˘//////˘///˘//˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/44A

Verse 3

When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.//˘//˘˘//˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘˘˘˘˘///˘˘/˘/˘˘˘///˘˘/44A

Verse 4

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.///˘˘/˘///˘/˘/????˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘//˘/˘˘///˘˘/˘//˘˘/45A

Verse 5

E'en down to old age all my people shall prove My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love; And when, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never—no never—no never forsake.??/˘///˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘????/˘////˘˘/˘˘///˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/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.