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Advent Hymnals

Millennial Harp 17

Thy selected people spare; Arm our caution'd souls with patience, Fill our humbled hearts with prayer

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1Thy selected people spare;
Arm our caution'd souls with patience,
Fill our humbled hearts with prayer.

2If the chastening rod is sore,
With all flesh is now begun,
Is thy wrath remember mercy;
Mercy first and last be shown.
Plead thy cause with sword and fire;
Shake us till the curse remove;
Till thou conq'st the world's desire,
Conquering all with sovereign love.

3Every fresh alarming token
More confirm the faithful word;
Nature, by thy Lord hath spoken,
Shows thy tabernacle near;
From this national confusion,
From this ruined earth and skies,
See the times of restitution,
See the new creation rise!

4Vanish, then, this world of shadows!
Pass the former things away;
Lord, appear! appear to glad us
With the dawn of endless day!
O conclude this mortal story!
Throw this universe aside!
Come, eternal King of glory,
Now descend and take thy bride!

The verse

Meter
7.9.8
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 63% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABA
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Thy selected people spare;/˘/˘/˘/7A
Arm our caution'd souls with patience,//˘/˘/˘/˘9B
Fill our humbled hearts with prayer.//˘/˘/˘/8A

Verse 2

If the chastening rod is sore,˘˘/˘˘/˘/8A
With all flesh is now begun,˘//˘/˘/7B
Is thy wrath remember mercy;˘//˘/˘/˘8C
Mercy first and last be shown./˘/˘/˘/7D
Plead thy cause with sword and fire;///˘/˘/˘8E
Shake us till the curse remove;/˘/˘/˘/7F
Till thou conq'st the world's desire,//?˘/˘/˘8E
Conquering all with sovereign love./˘˘/˘/˘/8G

Verse 3

Every fresh alarming token/˘˘/˘/˘/˘9A
More confirm the faithful word;/˘/˘/˘/7B
Nature, by thy Lord hath spoken,/˘˘////˘8A
Shows thy tabernacle near;///˘/˘/7C
From this national confusion,˘˘/˘˘˘/˘8D
From this ruined earth and skies,˘˘/˘/˘/7E
See the times of restitution,/˘/˘/˘/˘8F
See the new creation rise!/˘/˘/˘/7E

Verse 4

Vanish, then, this world of shadows!/˘/˘/˘//8A
Pass the former things away;/˘/˘/˘/7B
Lord, appear! appear to glad us/˘/˘/˘/˘8C
With the dawn of endless day!˘˘/˘/˘/7B
O conclude this mortal story!˘˘/˘/˘/˘8D
Throw this universe aside!/˘/˘/˘/7E
Come, eternal King of glory,/˘/˘/˘/˘8D
Now descend and take thy bride!/˘/˘///7E

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.