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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 91

How gentle God's commands

Words: Philip DoddridgeTune: 781, 669, 191

Studio

1How gentle God's commands!
How kind his precepts are!
Come, cast your burdens on the Lord,
And trust his constant care.

2Beneath his watchful eye
His saints securely dwell;
That hand which bears all nature up
Shall guard his children well.

3Why should this anxious load
Press down your weary mind?
Haste to your heavenly Father's throne,
And sweet refreshment find.

4His goodness stands approved
Through each succeeding day;
I'll drop my burden at his feet,
And bear a song away.

Tune
781, 669, 191
Also sung to
Dennis (Church Hymnal #64); Federal Street (Christ in Song #335)

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
6.6.8.6
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 69% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

How gentle God's commands!//˘/˘/6A
How kind his precepts are!//˘//˘6B
Come, cast your burdens on the Lord,//˘/˘˘˘/8C
And trust his constant care.˘/˘/˘/6D

Verse 2

Beneath his watchful eye˘/˘/˘/6A
His saints securely dwell;˘/˘/˘/6B
That hand which bears all nature up˘/˘///˘˘8C
Shall guard his children well.˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 3

Why should this anxious load/˘˘/˘/6A
Press down your weary mind?//˘/˘/6B
Haste to your heavenly Father's throne,/˘˘/˘˘/˘/9C
And sweet refreshment find.˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 4

His goodness stands approved˘/˘/˘/6A
Through each succeeding day;//˘/˘/6B
I'll drop my burden at his feet,//˘/˘˘˘/8C
And bear a song away.˘/˘/˘/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.