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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 417

O turn ye, O turn ye

Words: Josiah HopkinsTune: Expostulation11s

Studio

1O turn ye, O turn ye; for why will ye die,
When God in great mercy is coming so nigh?
Now Jesus invites you, the Spirit says, Come,
And angels are waiting to welcome you home.

2And now Christ is ready your souls to receive;
O, how can you question when you may believe?
If sin is your burden, why will you not come?
'Tis you he bids welcome; he bids you come home.

3Delay not, delay not, the Spirit of grace
Long grieved and resisted may take his sad flight,
And leave thee in darkness to finish thy race,
To sink in the gloom of eternity's night.

4Delay not, delay not, the hour is at hand,
The earth shall dissolve, and the heavens shall fade,
The dead, small and great, in the Judgment shall stand;
What power then, O sinner! will lend thee its aid?

Meter
11s
Scripture
Ezekiel 33:11

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
11.11.11.11 · as printed
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 33% of beats fit
Rhyme
AABC
Scan every line

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

Verse 1

O turn ye, O turn ye; for why will ye die,˘//˘//˘/˘//11A
When God in great mercy is coming so nigh?//˘//˘˘/˘˘/11A
Now Jesus invites you, the Spirit says, Come,//˘//˘˘/˘//11B
And angels are waiting to welcome you home.˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11C

Verse 2

And now Christ is ready your souls to receive;˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
O, how can you question when you may believe?˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘˘/11A
If sin is your burden, why will you not come?˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘˘/11B
'Tis you he bids welcome; he bids you come home./˘˘//˘˘/˘//11C

Verse 3

Delay not, delay not, the Spirit of grace˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
Long grieved and resisted may take his sad flight,//˘˘/˘˘/˘//11B
And leave thee in darkness to finish thy race,˘//˘/˘˘/˘//11A
To sink in the gloom of eternity's night.˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11B

Verse 4

Delay not, delay not, the hour is at hand,˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
The earth shall dissolve, and the heavens shall fade,˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11B
The dead, small and great, in the Judgment shall stand;˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
What power then, O sinner! will lend thee its aid?˘//˘/˘˘//˘/11B*

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.