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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 207

When God confirmed his law to men

Words: R. F. Cottrell

Studio

1When God confirmed his law to men,
Through Israel's waiting flock,
He spake and graved them in the rock,
And graved them in the rock.

2Within the tent's most holy place
That sacred law was found;
Nor can the hand of man eface
What great Jehovah wrought.

3But God well knew perdition's son
Would ne'er his precepts love;
He gave a duplicate alone,
And kept his own above.

4There in the tabernacle true,
Pitched not by hands of men,
The sacred law is kept in view,
The holy precepts ten.

Scripture
Exodus 31:18; Revelation 11:19

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.6.8.6
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 77% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABBB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

When God confirmed his law to men,//˘/˘/˘/8A
Through Israel's waiting flock,//˘/˘/6B
He spake and graved them in the rock,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8B
And graved them in the rock.˘/˘˘˘/6B

Verse 2

Within the tent's most holy place˘/˘///˘/8A
That sacred law was found;˘/˘/˘/6B
Nor can the hand of man eface˘˘˘/˘/??8C
What great Jehovah wrought.˘/˘/˘/6D

Verse 3

But God well knew perdition's son˘///???/8A
Would ne'er his precepts love;˘/˘///6B
He gave a duplicate alone,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8C
And kept his own above.˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 4

There in the tabernacle true,/˘˘/˘/˘/8A
Pitched not by hands of men,/˘˘/˘/6B
The sacred law is kept in view,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
The holy precepts ten.˘/˘///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.