Worship — Adoration of Christ

O could I speak the matchless worth

No. 123
Metre C. P. M.
Tune ARIEL.
Words Samuel Medley.
Music Lowell Mason.
Key E-flat major
Singing key D♭ major
Time 3/4
4 stanzas

Words

O could I speak the matchless worth,O could I sound the glories forth,Which in my Saviour shine!I'd soar and touch the heavenly stringsAnd vie with Gabriel while he singsIn notes almost divine,In notes almost divine.

I'd sing the precious blood he spilt,My ransom from the dreadful guiltOf sin and wrath divine!I'd sing his glorious righteousness,In which all-perfect heavenly dressMy soul shall ever shine.

I'd sing the character he bears,And all the forms of love he wears,Exalted on his throne;In loftiest songs of sweetest praise,I would to everlasting daysMake all his glories known.

Well, the delightful day will come,When my dear Lord will take me home,And I shall see his face;Then, with my Saviour, Brother, Friend,A blest eternity I'll spend,Triumphant in his grace.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: hymn number «123», tune name «ARIEL. C. P. M.» centred over the music (capitals and small capitals), «Lowell Mason.» at the right (capitals and small capitals); running head «WORSHIP—ADORATION OF CHRIST.». Stanza 1 is interlinear, between the staves, one line per system, with «1.» before «O»; its verse lines are given here as poetry, and it includes the repetition of the last line «In notes almost divine» that the music prints (the tune sings the last line of every stanza twice; stanzas 2–4 print it once). Stanzas 2–4 are printed as text in the left column below the music, under the reference line «235, 658.» in italics (= may also be sung to the tunes of hymns 235 or 658), with the stanza numbers printed without a full stop («2 I'd sing»), numbered «2.» here like stanza 1. «Samuel Medley.» in italics after stanza 4. The print sets a thin space before «;» and «!» («divine !», «throne ;», «face ;»); it is closed up here. In the interlinear line the tight justification runs words together («Saviourshine!», «andtouch», «heavenlystrings»); they are separate words. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's (the interlinear stanza has no comma after «strings»). Lines 3 and 6 of each stanza are indented in the print.