Skip to content

A copy of Advent Hymnals. Open this page on adventhymnals.org →

Hymns and Tunes 1886 349

O solemn thought! and can it be

Words: R. F. CottrellTune: 1266, 616.

1O solemn thought! and can it be The hour of Judgment now is come,
Which soon must fix our destiny, And seal the sinner's fearful doom?
Yes, it is so; the Judgment hour Is swiftly hastening to its close;
Then the Judge, in mighty power, Shall call the nations to the close.

2He who came down to earth to die, An offering for the sins of men,
And then ascended up on high, And will come down to earth again;
Is standing now before the ark, And there they with the sacred lot.
The solemn moment is a hand When we who have his name confessed,
Each in his turn stands and Each in his holy searching test.

3The solemn moment is a hand When we who have his name confessed,
Each in his turn stands and Each in his holy searching test.
Jesus! we hope in thee alone; In mercy upon us look;
Confess our names before the throne, And blot our sins out of thy book.

4O blessed Saviour! may we feel The full importance of this hour.
Inspire our hearts with holy zeal, And aid us by thy Spirit's power,
That we may, in thy strength, be strong, And brave the conflict valiantly;
Then, on Mount Zion, join the song, And shout the notes of victory.

Tune
1266, 616.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
17.17.18.16
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 38% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCC
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

O solemn thought! and can it be The hour of Judgment now is come,˘/˘/˘˘˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/17A
Which soon must fix our destiny, And seal the sinner's fearful doom?˘////˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/17B
Yes, it is so; the Judgment hour Is swiftly hastening to its close;/˘˘˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘˘˘/18C
Then the Judge, in mighty power, Shall call the nations to the close./˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘˘/16C

Verse 2

He who came down to earth to die, An offering for the sins of men,˘˘//˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘˘/˘/17A
And then ascended up on high, And will come down to earth again;˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘˘//˘/˘/16A
Is standing now before the ark, And there they with the sacred lot.˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/16B
The solemn moment is a hand When we who have his name confessed,˘/˘/˘˘˘//˘˘˘˘/˘/16C
Each in his turn stands and Each in his holy searching test./˘˘//˘/˘˘/˘/˘/14C

Verse 3

The solemn moment is a hand When we who have his name confessed,˘/˘/˘˘˘//˘˘˘˘/˘/16A
Each in his turn stands and Each in his holy searching test./˘˘//˘/˘˘/˘/˘/14A
Jesus! we hope in thee alone; In mercy upon us look;/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/15B
Confess our names before the throne, And blot our sins out of thy book.˘//˘/˘/˘/˘//˘//˘//18B

Verse 4

O blessed Saviour! may we feel The full importance of this hour.˘//˘˘˘˘/˘///˘˘˘/˘17A
Inspire our hearts with holy zeal, And aid us by thy Spirit's power,///˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘//˘/˘18A
That we may, in thy strength, be strong, And brave the conflict valiantly;˘˘˘˘//˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘16B
Then, on Mount Zion, join the song, And shout the notes of victory./˘//˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘16C

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.