To Thee Our God, We Fly

Representative Text

1 To thee, our God, we fly
for mercy and for grace;
O hear our lowly cry,
and hide not thou thy face.

Refrain:
O Lord, stretch forth thy mighty hand,
and guard and bless our fatherland.

2 Arise, O Lord of Hosts,
be jealous for thy name,
and drive from out our coasts
the sins that put to shame. [Refrain]

3 Thy best gifts from on high
in rich abundance pour,
that we may magnify
and praise thee more and more. [Refrain]

4 The powers ordained by thee
with heavenly wisdom bless;
may they thy servants be,
and rule in righteousness. [Refrain]

5 The Church of thy dear Son
inflame with love's pure fire,
bind her once more in one,
with life and truth inspire. [Refrain]

*6 The pastors of thy fold
with grace and power endue,
that faithful, pure, and bold,
they may be pastors true. [Refrain]

7 O let us love thy house,
and sanctify thy day,
bring unto thee our vows,
and loyal homage pay. [Refrain]

8 Give peace, Lord, in our time;
O let no foe draw nigh,
nor lawless deed of crime
insult thy majesty. [Refrain]

*9 Though vile and worthless, still
thy people, Lord, are we;
and for our God we will
none other have but thee. [Refrain]

Source: CPWI Hymnal #189

Author: William Walsham How

William W. How (b. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, 1823; d. Leenane, County Mayo, Ireland, 1897) studied at Wadham College, Oxford, and Durham University and was ordained in the Church of England in 1847. He served various congregations and became Suffragan Bishop in east London in 1879 and Bishop of Wakefield in 1888. Called both the "poor man's bishop" and "the children's bishop," How was known for his work among the destitute in the London slums and among the factory workers in west Yorkshire. He wrote a number of theological works about controversies surrounding the Oxford Movement and attempted to reconcile biblical creation with the theory of evolution. He was joint editor of Psalms and Hymns (1854) and Church Hymns (1871). While rec… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: To Thee our God, we fly
Title: To Thee Our God, We Fly
Author: William Walsham How (1871)
Meter: 6.6.6.6.8.8
Language: English
Refrain First Line: O Lord, stretch forth thy mighty hand
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #6958
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Instances

Instances (1 - 8 of 8)
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Christian Worship (1993) #620

Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #540

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Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #697a

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Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #697b

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CPWI Hymnal #189

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #330

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #6958

TextPage Scan

The New English Hymnal #127

Include 83 pre-1979 instances
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