Skip to content

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

Advent Hymnals

Hymns for Second Advent Believers 81

A True Witness

Studio

1SHALL I, for fear of feeble man,
The Spirit's course in me restrain?
Or, undismay'd in deed and word,
Be a true witness of my Lord?

2Aw'd by a mortal's frown, shall I
Conceal the word of God Most High?
How then before thee shall I dare
To stand, or how thine anger bear?

3Shall I, to soothe the unholy throng,
Soften thy truth, or smooth my tongue,
To gain earth's gilded toys, or flee
The cross endur'd, my Lord, by thee?

4What then is he whose scorn I dread?
Whose wrath or hate makes me afraid?
A man! An heir of death! A slave
To sin! A bubble on the wave!

5Yea, let men rage; since thou wilt spread
Thy shadowing wings around my head;
Since in all pain thy tender love
Will still my sure refreshment prove.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.8.8.8
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 59% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCC
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

SHALL I, for fear of feeble man,˘˘˘/˘/˘/8A
The Spirit's course in me restrain?˘/˘/˘˘˘/8B
Or, undismay'd in deed and word,˘???˘/˘/8C
Be a true witness of my Lord?˘˘//˘˘˘/8D

Verse 2

Aw'd by a mortal's frown, shall I/˘˘/˘/˘˘8A
Conceal the word of God Most High?˘/˘/˘///8A
How then before thee shall I dare//˘//˘˘/8B
To stand, or how thine anger bear?˘/˘///˘/8B

Verse 3

Shall I, to soothe the unholy throng,˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/9A
Soften thy truth, or smooth my tongue,/˘//˘/˘/8B
To gain earth's gilded toys, or flee˘///˘/˘/8C
The cross endur'd, my Lord, by thee?˘/˘/˘/˘/8C

Verse 4

What then is he whose scorn I dread?˘/˘˘˘/˘/8A
Whose wrath or hate makes me afraid?˘/˘//˘˘/8B
A man! An heir of death! A slave˘/˘/˘/˘/8C
To sin! A bubble on the wave!˘/˘/˘˘˘/8C

Verse 5

Yea, let men rage; since thou wilt spread////////8A
Thy shadowing wings around my head;//˘˘/˘/˘/9A
Since in all pain thy tender love/˘////˘/8B
Will still my sure refreshment prove.˘/˘/˘/˘/8C

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.