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Advent Hymnals

SDA Hymnal 146

I Think When I Read That Sweet Story

Words: Jemima LukeMusic: Traditional Greek melodyTune: Sweet Story8.8.8.6.D

Studio

1I think when I read that sweet story of old,
When Jesus was here among men,
How He called little children as lambs to His fold,
I should like to have been with Him then.

2I wish that His hands had been placed on my head,
That His arm had been thrown around me,
And that I might have seen His kind look when He said,
"Let the little ones come unto Me."

3I long for the joy of that glorious time,
The sweetest and brightest and best,
When the dear little children of every clime
Shall crowd to His arms and be blest.

Also sung to
Innocents (Christ in Song #334)
Meter
8.8.8.6.D
Scripture
Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16

The verse

Meter
11.8.12.9 · the hymnal prints 8.8.8.6.D
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 31% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

I think when I read that sweet story of old,˘//˘/˘//˘˘/11A
When Jesus was here among men,//˘˘/˘//8B
How He called little children as lambs to His fold,/˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘/12A
I should like to have been with Him then.˘˘/˘˘˘˘˘/9B

Verse 2

I wish that His hands had been placed on my head,˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
That His arm had been thrown around me,˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘9B
And that I might have seen His kind look when He said,˘˘˘˘˘/˘///˘/12A
"Let the little ones come unto Me."/˘/˘///˘˘9B

Verse 3

I long for the joy of that glorious time,˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
The sweetest and brightest and best,˘/˘˘/˘˘/8B
When the dear little children of every clime/˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘?12C
Shall crowd to His arms and be blest.˘/˘˘/˘˘/8B

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.