Millennial Harp 67
A charge to keep I have
S.M.
1A charge to keep I have, A God to glorify; A never-dying soul to save, And fit it for the sky.
2To serve the present age, My calling to fulfil; O may it all my powers engage To do my Master's will.
3Arm me with jealous care, As in thy sight to live; And O thy servant, Lord, prepare, A strict account to give.
4Help me to watch and pray, And on thyself rely, Assured if I my trust betray I shall forever die.
- Meter
- S.M.
The verse
- Meter
- 25 · the hymnal prints S.M.
- Foot
- iambic (da-DUM) · 57% of beats fit
- Rhyme
- ABAB
Scan every line
/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary · * a word sung short, as “heav’n”
Verse 1
A charge to keep I have, A God to glorify; A never-dying soul to save, And fit it for the sky.˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘???/˘/˘/˘˘˘/25A
Verse 2
To serve the present age,˘/˘/˘/6A
My calling to fulfil;˘/˘˘˘/6B
O may it all my powers engage˘˘˘/˘/˘/8A*
To do my Master's will.˘˘˘/˘˘6B
Verse 3
Arm me with jealous care,/˘˘/˘/6A
As in thy sight to live;˘˘//˘/6B
And O thy servant, Lord, prepare,˘˘//˘/˘/8A
A strict account to give.˘/˘/˘/6C
Verse 4
Help me to watch and pray,/˘˘/˘/6A
And on thyself rely,˘˘//˘/6B
Assured if I my trust betray˘/˘˘˘/˘/8A
I shall forever die.˘˘˘/˘/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.