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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 183

How shall the young secure their hearts

Words: Isaac WattsMusic: George N. AllenTune: MAITLANDC. M.

Studio

1How shall the young secure their hearts
And guard their lives from sin?
Thy word the choicest rules imparts
To keep the conscience clean.

2'Tis like the sun, a heavenly light,
That guides me all the day;
And through the dangers of the night,
A lamp to lead the way.

3Thy precepts make me truly wise;
I hate the sinner's road;
I hate my own vain thoughts that rise,
But love thy law, my God.

4Thy word is everlasting truth;
How pure is every page!
That holy book shall guide my youth,
And well support my age.

Meter
C. M.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.6.8.6 · as printed
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 82% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAC

Could also be sung to Azmon, Coronation, Ortonville, Cantate Domino, Christmas · same meter and stresses; not printed with these words, so try it first.

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary · * a word sung short, as “heav’n”

Verse 1

How shall the young secure their hearts/˘˘/˘/˘/8A
And guard their lives from sin?˘/˘/˘/6B
Thy word the choicest rules imparts//˘/˘///8A
To keep the conscience clean.˘/˘/˘/6C

Verse 2

'Tis like the sun, a heavenly light,//˘/˘/˘/8A*
That guides me all the day;˘/˘/˘/6B
And through the dangers of the night,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8A
A lamp to lead the way.˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 3

Thy precepts make me truly wise;////˘/˘/8A
I hate the sinner's road;˘/˘/˘/6B
I hate my own vain thoughts that rise,˘/˘///˘/8A
But love thy law, my God.˘///˘/6C

Verse 4

Thy word is everlasting truth;//˘/˘/˘/8A
How pure is every page!//˘/˘/6B
That holy book shall guide my youth,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
And well support my age.˘/˘/˘/6B

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.