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SDA Hymnal 645

God of Our Fathers

Words: [unclear]Music: [unclear]Tune: [unclear][unclear]

1God of our fathers, whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies,
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

2Thy love divine hath led us in the past,
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;
Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide, and stay,
Thy word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

3From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts and lives
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine.

4Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,
Lead us from night to never-ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

Words: [unclear]
Music: [unclear]
Tune: [unclear]
Meter: [unclear]
Scripture: Psalm 33:12; Proverbs 14:34

Public Domain

The verse

Meter: 11.10.10.11
Foot: trochaic (DUM-da) · 37% of beats fit
Rhyme: AABB

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

God of our fathers, whose almighty hand/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/11A

Leads forth in beauty all the starry band//˘/˘/˘///10A

Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies,˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/10B

Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise./˘/˘/˘///˘/11B

Verse 2

Thy love divine hath led us in the past,//˘///˘˘˘/10A

In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;˘˘//˘//˘/˘/11A

Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide, and stay,˘//˘/˘/˘˘/˘/12B

Thy word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.///˘////˘/˘/12B

Verse 3

From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence,˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘10A

Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;˘////˘/˘/˘/11B

Thy true religion in our hearts and lives//˘/˘˘/˘/˘/11C

Fill all our lives with love and grace divine.///˘/˘/˘/˘/11D

Verse 4

Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,˘///˘˘˘??/10A

Lead us from night to never-ending day;/˘˘/˘????/10A

Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,///˘/˘/˘/˘/11B

And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/10B

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.