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Millennial Harp 85

Seek Ye First the Kingdom

8.8.8.8.

1Seek ye first the kingdom, 'Tis your Father's will. So the voice of Jesus, bids us follow still.

RefrainSavior, we would hear Thee, Follow, find, and see; So, when breaks the vision of that kingdom fair, Lord, so be the increase, peace-able but sure, So shall all God's children from the east and west, Eager hearts arrive there on the pilgrim's road. And in life's adventure Thy disciples be. Ours shall be its riches And its beauty rare. Or Thy word with us, And Thy kingdom's power. Gather to that glorious In its shadow rest. Hail! the kingdom glorious Of the living God!

2As for hidden treasure, Or for matchless pearl, When at last discovered, some will sell their all:

3As the silent leaven works its secret way, Or as grows the seed grain through the night and day;

4As the tender seedling grows up tall and strong, And the birds of heaven to its branches throng;

5Humblest shall be greatest, poor in spirit reign; Home shall come the childlike, born through Thee again;

Meter
8.8.8.8.

The verse

Meter
22 · the hymnal prints 8.8.8.8.
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 34% of beats fit
Rhyme
A
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Seek ye first the kingdom, 'Tis your Father's will. So the voice of Jesus, bids us follow still.///˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/22A

Verse 2

As for hidden treasure, Or for matchless pearl, When at last discovered, some will sell their all:˘˘/˘/˘˘˘??//˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/22A

Verse 3

As the silent leaven works its secret way, Or as grows the seed grain through the night and day;˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘///˘/˘/22A

Verse 4

As the tender seedling grows up tall and strong, And the birds of heaven to its branches throng;˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/22A

Verse 5

Humblest shall be greatest, poor in spirit reign; Home shall come the childlike, born through Thee again;/˘˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘//˘/˘/////˘/23A

Refrain

Savior, we would hear Thee, Follow, find, and see; So, when breaks the vision of that kingdom fair, Lord, so be the increase, peace-able but sure, So shall all God's children from the east and west, Eager hearts arrive there on the pilgrim's road. And in life's adventure Thy disciples be. Ours shall be its riches And its beauty rare. Or Thy word with us, And Thy kingdom's power. Gather to that glorious In its shadow rest. Hail! the kingdom glorious Of the living God!/˘˘˘///˘/˘/˘//˘/˘˘˘/˘//˘˘˘///˘˘˘/˘˘///˘˘˘/˘//˘/˘//˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘˘˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘//˘˘˘//˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘˘˘˘////˘/˘/˘˘˘˘/˘/113A

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.