P18a. Thee will I love, O Lord, my strength

1 Thee will I love, O Lord, my strength.
2 My fortress is the Lord,
my rock, and he that doth to me
deliverance afford:
my God, my strength, whom I will trust,
a buckler unto me,
the horn of my salvation sure,
and my high tower, is he.

3 Unto the Lord, who worthy is
of praises, will I cry;
and then shall I preserved be
safe from mine enemy.
4 The cords of death encompassed me,
sin's floods made me afraid;
5 bands of the grave were round me drawn,
death's snares were on me laid.

6 I in distress I called on the Lord,
cry to my God did I;
he from his temple heard my voice,
to his ears came my cry.
7 Earth as affrighted then did shake,
trembling upon it seized:
the hills’ foundations moved were,
because he was displeased.

8 Up from his nostrils came a smoke,
and from his mouth there came
devouring fire, and coals by it
were turned into flame.
9 He also bowed down the heavens,
and thence he did descend;
and thickest clouds of darkness did
under his feet attend.

10 And he upon a cherub rode,
and thereon he did fly;
yea, on the swift wings of the wind
his flight was from on high.

11 He darkness made his secret place:
about him, for his tent,
dark waters were, and thickest clouds
of the airy firmament.

12 And at the brightness of that light,
which was before his eye,
his thick clouds passed away, hailstones
and coals of fire did fly.
13 Jehovah also in the heavens
did thunder in his ire;
and there the Highest gave his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.

14 Yea, he his arrows sent abroad,
and them he scattered;
his lightnings also he shot out,
and them discomfited.
15 The waters’ channels then were seen,
the world’s foundations vast
at thy rebuke discovered were,
and at thy nostrils’ blast.

16 And from above the Lord sent down,
and took me from below;
from many waters he me drew,
which would me overflow.
17 He rescued me from my strong foes,
and such as did me hate;
because he saw that they for me
too strong were and too great.

18 They came upon me in the day
of my calamity;
but even then the Lord himself
a stay was unto me.
19 Unto a place of liberty
and room was hath me brought;
because he took delight in me,
he my deliverance wrought.

Text Information
First Line: Thee will I love, O Lord, my strength
Meter: CM
Language: English
Publication Date: 2004
Scripture:
Tune Information
Name: LANCASTER
Composer: Samuel Howard, 1710-1782
Harmonizer: David Evans, 1874-1948
Meter: CM
Key: A Major



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