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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 209

Why all this fear? I've sought thy face

Words: Isaac Watts

Studio

1Why all this fear? I've sought thy face,
O let me never stray
From thy commands, O God of grace!
Nor tread the sinner's way.

2Thy word I've hid within my heart
To keep my conscience clean,
And be an everlasting guard
From every rising sin.

3My soul with sacred reverence hears
The threatenings of thy word;
My flesh, with holy trembling, fears
The judgments of the Lord.

4My God! I long, I hope, I wait,
For thy salvation still;
While thy whole law is my delight,
And I obey thy will.

Also sung to
Denfield (Hymns and Tunes 1886 #175)
Scripture
Psalm 119:11

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.6.8.6
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 67% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Why all this fear? I've sought thy face,//˘/////8A
O let me never stray˘/˘/˘/6B
From thy commands, O God of grace!˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
Nor tread the sinner's way.˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 2

Thy word I've hid within my heart////˘/˘/8A
To keep my conscience clean,˘/˘/˘/6B
And be an everlasting guard˘˘˘/˘/˘/8C
From every rising sin.˘/˘˘/˘/7D

Verse 3

My soul with sacred reverence hears˘/˘/˘/˘˘/9A
The threatenings of thy word;˘/˘˘˘//7B
My flesh, with holy trembling, fears˘/˘/˘/˘˘/9A
The judgments of the Lord.˘/˘˘˘/6C

Verse 4

My God! I long, I hope, I wait,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
For thy salvation still;˘/˘/˘/6B
While thy whole law is my delight,////˘˘˘/8C
And I obey thy will.˘˘˘//˘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.