This is the fifth of my cycle of ten Hymns, called “The Psalms of Davey”. They are being reproduced in a special category on this blog one after another. In only one case is the tune my own (that’ll be number ten). In other cases, please follow the links to get to the midi for the tunes, courtesy of http://www.cyberhymnal.org
5. “O LORD OF HOSTS, I BOW TO THEE”
(Words Uncle Davey, Voronezh, Russia, 5-7 October 1985. Music Dmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky (1751-1825) Tune name “Russia”. The tune is well known in both Protestant and Catholic Churches, one of the more frequent songs of worship heard in Poland , though to a slightly different arrangement. The tune will also go well with “Ombersly” (see the previous hymn) by William Henry Gladstone. I also composed a tune for this called “Alexandra”, but as yet I have no midi for it.)
First published on the net on 4th April 2004
(NB. The picture to the right was taken in 1985, this is how I looked when I wrote this hymn.)
1.
O Lord of Hosts, I bow to Thee
With all my heart, on bended knee
But Lord, my soul is dank and dim,
Like foisty tinder, soiled by sin.
2.
Fain would I, Lord, to Thee make haste
Pour forth my prayer, nor moment waste.
Yet deep within my soul I glare
And see vague guilt still lurking there.
3.
O search me, Lord, and try my heart
O sift my soul in every part!
O may I all the substance see
Of how I have offended thee.
4.
O how unworthy I have been
My very nature how unclean;
How selfish, hard and proud and cold
How full of vanities untold.
5.
Yet all this wrong, O Lord of might,
Is not too much for Thee to right:
For Christ the Lamb who bore my pain
Could not have suffered death in vain.
6.
Whilst I consider, by Thy grace,
This spotless Lamb who took my place
And bore my curse, may I begin
To brim with thankful love within.
7.
Then may I pour forth raptured praise
And bless the Lord’s most holy ways,
For He, my strength and shield and song
Now my salvation is become.
“The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.”(Psalm 118 v 14)