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Millennial Harp 32

Expostulation (O Turn Ye)

1O turn ye, O turn ye, for why will you 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.

2How vain the delusion, that while you delay,
Your hearts may grow better by staying away;
Come wretched, come starving, come just as you be
While streams of salvation are flowing so free.

3And now Christ is ready your souls to receive,
O how can you question, if you will believe?
If sin is your burden, why will you not come?
'Tis you he bids welcome; he bids you come home.

4In riches, in pleasures, what can you obtain,
To soothe your affliction, or banish your pain?
To bear up your spirit when summon'd to die,
Or waft you to mansions of glory on high?

5Why will you be starving and feeding on air?
There's mercy in Jesus, enough and to spare;
If still you are doubting, make trial and see,
And prove that his mercy is boundless and free.

6Come,give us your hand,and the Savior your heart,
And trusting in Heaven, we never shall part;
O how can we leave you? why will you not come?
We'll journey together, and soon be at home.

Also sung to
Expostulation (Hymns and Tunes 1886 #417)

The verse

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

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

O turn ye, O turn ye, for why will you 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

How vain the delusion, that while you delay,//˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
Your hearts may grow better by staying away;˘/˘//˘˘/˘˘/11A
Come wretched, come starving, come just as you be//˘//˘//˘˘˘11B
While streams of salvation are flowing so free.//˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11B

Verse 3

And now Christ is ready your souls to receive,˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
O how can you question, if you will 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 4

In riches, in pleasures, what can you obtain,˘/˘˘/˘˘˘˘˘/11A
To soothe your affliction, or banish your pain?˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
To bear up your spirit when summon'd to die,˘/˘˘/˘//˘˘/11B
Or waft you to mansions of glory on high?˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11B

Verse 5

Why will you be starving and feeding on air?/˘˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
There's mercy in Jesus, enough and to spare;//˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
If still you are doubting, make trial and see,˘/˘˘/˘//˘˘/11B
And prove that his mercy is boundless and free.˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11B

Verse 6

Come,give us your hand,and the Savior your heart,//˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
And trusting in Heaven, we never shall part;˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
O how can we leave you? why will you not come?˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘˘/11B
We'll journey together, and soon be at home.//˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11C

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.