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SDA Hymnal 225

God Is Working His Purpose Out

Words: Arthur Campbell AingerMusic: Martin ShawTune: PURPOSE11.10.11.10 with Refrain

Studio

1God is working His purpose out
As year succeeds to year;
God is working His purpose out,
And the time is drawing near;
Nearer and nearer draws the time,
The time that shall surely be,
When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
As the waters cover the sea.

2From utmost east to utmost west,
Wherever man's foot hath trod,
By the mouth of many messengers
Goes forth the voice of God;
Give ear to me, ye continents,
Ye isles, give ear to me,
That the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
As the waters cover the sea.

3March we forth in the strength of God,
With the banner of Christ unfurled,
That the light of the glorious gospel of truth
May shine throughout the world;
Fight we the fight with sorrow and sin
To set their captives free,
That the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
As the waters cover the sea.

4All we can do is nothing worth
Unless God blesses the deed;
Vainly we hope for the harvest-tide
Till God gives life to the seed;
Yet nearer and nearer draws the time,
The time that shall surely be,
When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
As the waters cover the sea.

Scripture
Habakkuk 2:14; Isaiah 11:9

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.6.8.7.8.7.12.8 · the hymnal prints 11.10.11.10 with Refrain
Foot
anapestic (da-da-DUM) · 34% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABABCDED
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

God is working His purpose out/˘/˘˘/˘/8A
As year succeeds to year;˘/˘/˘/6B
God is working His purpose out,/˘/˘˘/˘/8A
And the time is drawing near;˘˘/˘/˘/7B
Nearer and nearer draws the time,/˘˘/˘/˘/8C
The time that shall surely be,˘/˘˘/˘˘7D
When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God/˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/12E
As the waters cover the sea.˘˘/˘/˘˘/8D

Verse 2

From utmost east to utmost west,˘///˘///8A
Wherever man's foot hath trod,˘/˘////7B
By the mouth of many messengers˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘9C
Goes forth the voice of God;//˘/˘/6B
Give ear to me, ye continents,//˘˘//˘˘8D
Ye isles, give ear to me,////˘˘6E
That the earth shall be filled with the glory of God˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/12B
As the waters cover the sea.˘˘/˘/˘˘/8E

Verse 3

March we forth in the strength of God,/˘/˘˘/˘/8A
With the banner of Christ unfurled,˘˘/˘˘/˘/8B
That the light of the glorious gospel of truth˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/12C
May shine throughout the world;˘/˘/˘/6B
Fight we the fight with sorrow and sin/˘˘/˘/˘˘/9D
To set their captives free,˘/˘/˘/6E
That the earth shall be filled with the glory of God˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/12A
As the waters cover the sea.˘˘/˘/˘˘/8E

Verse 4

All we can do is nothing worth/˘˘˘˘/˘/8A
Unless God blesses the deed;˘///˘˘/7B
Vainly we hope for the harvest-tide/˘˘/˘˘???9C
Till God gives life to the seed;////˘˘/7B
Yet nearer and nearer draws the time,//˘˘/˘/˘/9D
The time that shall surely be,˘/˘˘/˘˘7E
When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God/˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/12F
As the waters cover the sea.˘˘/˘/˘˘/8E

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.