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Advent Hymnals

SDA Hymnal 82

Before Jehovah's Awful Throne

Words: Isaac WattsMusic: William CroftTune: St. AnneC.M.

Studio

1Before Jehovah's awful throne,
Ye nations bow with sacred joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone,
He can create, and He destroy.

2His sovereign power, without our aid,
Made us of clay, and formed us men;
And when like wandering sheep we strayed,
He brought us to His fold again.

3We'll crowd His gates with thankful songs,
High as the heavens our voices raise;
And earth, with her ten thousand tongues,
Shall fill His courts with sounding praise.

4Wide as the world is Thy command,
Vast as eternity Thy love;
Firm as a rock Thy truth shall stand,
When rolling years shall cease to move.

Also sung to
Duke Street (Hymns and Tunes 1886 #19)
Meter
C.M.
Scripture
Psalm 100

The verse

Meter
8.8.8.8 · the hymnal prints C.M.
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 69% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAB
Scan every line

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

Verse 1

Before Jehovah's awful throne,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
Ye nations bow with sacred joy;//˘/˘/˘/8B
Know that the Lord is God alone,/˘˘/˘/˘/8A
He can create, and He destroy.˘˘˘/˘˘˘/8B

Verse 2

His sovereign power, without our aid,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A*
Made us of clay, and formed us men;/˘˘/˘/˘/8B
And when like wandering sheep we strayed,˘///˘/˘/8A*
He brought us to His fold again.˘/˘˘˘/˘/8B

Verse 3

We'll crowd His gates with thankful songs,//˘/˘/˘/8A
High as the heavens our voices raise;/˘˘/˘/˘/8B*
And earth, with her ten thousand tongues,˘/˘˘//˘/8C
Shall fill His courts with sounding praise.˘/˘/˘/˘/8B

Verse 4

Wide as the world is Thy command,/˘˘/˘/˘/8A
Vast as eternity Thy love;/˘˘/˘˘//8B
Firm as a rock Thy truth shall stand,/˘˘///˘/8A
When rolling years shall cease to move.//˘/˘/˘/8C

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.