The Christian — Faith, Hope, and Charity

Though I speak with angel tongues

No. 685
Metre 7s. 6l.
Tune GUIDE.
Words Ernest Lange.
Music M. M. Wells.
Key G major
Time 3/4
3 stanzas

Words

Though I speak with angel tonguesBravest words of strength and fire,They are but as idle songsIf no love my heart inspire;All the eloquence shall passAs the noise of sounding brass.

Though I lavish all I have,On the poor in charity,Though I shrink not from the grave,Or unmoved the stake can see,—Till by love the work be crowned,All shall profitless be found.

Come, thou Spirit of pure love,Who didst forth from God proceed,Never from my heart remove;Let me all thy impulse heed,Let my heart henceforward beMoved, controlled, inspired by thee.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «THE CHRISTIAN—FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY.»; hymn number «685» (large), tune name «GUIDE. 7s. 6l.» centred over the music (condensed capitals and small capitals), «M. M. WELLS.» at the right (capitals and small capitals), «Fine.» under it over the end of system 1, «D. C.» over the end of system 2. Stanza 1 is set with the music in three places: under system 1, between the staves, the roman line «1. Though I speak with an - gel tongues Brav - est words of strength and fire,» (lines 1–2) and, under it in italics after «D. C.—», «All the el - o - quence shall pass As the noise of sound - ing brass.» (lines 5–6, sung to system 1 after the D. C.); under system 2, «They are but as i - dle songs If no love my heart in - spire;» (lines 3–4). Stanza 1 is given below in verse order (lines 1–6). Stanzas 2–3 are printed as text (left and right column) under the italic reference line «244, 768.» (= the same words may be sung to the tunes of hymns 244 or 768), numbered «2», «3» without periods (written «2.», «3.» here, as in the other deliveries of this book); lines 2 and 4 indented, as reproduced below (stanza 1 follows the same pattern). «Ernest Lange.» in italics after stanza 3. The print sets a thin space before «;» («inspire ;», «remove ;»); it is closed up here. Spelling, punctuation (the dash in «see,—») and capitals are the print's.