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Advent Hymnals

SDA Hymnal 315

O for a Closer Walk!

Words: William CowperMusic: Charles ConverseTune: CLOSER WALKC.M.

Studio

1O, for a closer walk with God!
A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb.

2Return, O holy Dove! re-
Sweet messenger of rest;
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,
And drove Thee from my breast.

3What peaceful hours I once en-
How sweet their memory still!
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill.

4The dearest idol I have known,
Whate'er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.

Meter
C.M.
Scripture
Genesis 5:24; Enoch 6:9

The verse

Meter
8.6.8.6 · as printed
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 66% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary · * a word sung short, as “heav’n”

Verse 1

O, for a closer walk with God!˘˘˘/˘/˘/8A
A calm and heavenly frame,˘/˘/˘/6B*
A light to shine upon the road˘/˘/˘/˘/8C
That leads me to the Lamb.˘/˘˘˘/6D

Verse 2

Return, O holy Dove! re-˘/˘/˘//7A
Sweet messenger of rest;//˘˘˘/6B
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,˘/˘/˘///8C
And drove Thee from my breast.˘//˘˘/6B

Verse 3

What peaceful hours I once en-˘/˘/˘˘//8A
How sweet their memory still!//˘/˘˘/7B
But they have left an aching void˘˘˘/˘/˘/8C
The world can never fill.˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 4

The dearest idol I have known,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8A
Whate'er that idol be,???˘/˘˘7B
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,/˘˘/˘˘//8A
And worship only Thee.˘/˘/˘/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.