Scripture Verse

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer. Psalm 84:8

Introduction

portrait
Augustus M. Toplady (1740–1778)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: Au­gus­tus M. Top­la­dy, in the Gos­pel Ma­ga­zine, De­cem­ber 1774.

Music: Tim­na Lo­well Ma­son, Car­mi­na Sac­ra (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: John H. Wil­kins & Ri­chard B. Car­ter, 1841), page 231 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

Inspirer and hear­er of pray­er,
Thou shep­herd and guard­ian of Thine,
My all to Thy co­ve­nant care,
I, sleep­ing or wak­ing, re­sign.

If Thou art my shield and my sun,
The night is no dark­ness to me;
And, fast as my min­utes roll on,
They bring me but near­er to Thee.

A so­ve­reign pro­tect­or I have,
Unseen, yet for ev­er at hand;
Unchangeably faith­ful to save,
Almighty to rule and com­mand.

His smiles and His com­forts abound,
His grace, as the dew, shall des­cend;
And walls of sal­va­tion sur­round
The soul He de­lights to de­fend.