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Hymns for Second Advent Believers 50

The Law of God

Studio

1WHEN God confirmed his law to men,
To Israel's waiting flock,
He spoke aloud his precepts ten,
And graved them in the rock.

2Within the Tent's most holy place
The law of God was laid;
Within the sacred Ark's embrace
It was deposited.

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.

5And when the seventh trump's behest
Withdrew the vail between
The holy and the holiest,
The precious Ark was seen.

6Then let us serve the law of love,
And in it take delight;
By day, obedience to prove,
And meditate by night.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.6.8.6
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 79% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

WHEN God confirmed his law to men,//˘/˘/˘/8A
To Israel's waiting flock,˘/˘/˘/6B
He spoke aloud his precepts ten,˘/˘/˘///8A
And graved them in the rock.˘/˘˘˘/6B

Verse 2

Within the Tent's most holy place˘/˘///˘/8A
The law of God was laid;˘/˘/˘/6B
Within the sacred Ark's embrace˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
It was deposited.˘˘˘/˘˘6C

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

Verse 5

And when the seventh trump's behest˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
Withdrew the vail between˘/˘/˘/6B
The holy and the holiest,˘/˘˘˘/˘˘8C
The precious Ark was seen.˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 6

Then let us serve the law of love,//˘/˘/˘/8A
And in it take delight;˘˘˘/˘/6B
By day, obedience to prove,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8C
And meditate by night.˘/˘/˘/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.