Scripture Verse

Unto Thee will I cry, O Lord my rock. Psalm 28:1

Introduction

portrait
Charles U. Link
1869–1938

Words: From an ear­ly Scot­tish psal­ter. Ver­sions of this hymn were in print in Am­er­ica as ear­ly as 1872.

Music: Plead­ing, Charles U. Link, in Church and Sun­day School Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by John D. Brunk (Scott­dale, Penn­syl­van­ia: Men­non­ite Pub­lish­ing House, 1902), num­ber 77 (🔊 pdf nwc) Note: This book al­so cre­dits Link (in­cor­rect­ly) with writ­ing the words.

Alternate Tunes:

Lyrics

O Lord, to Thee I cry;
Thou art my rock and trust;
O be not silent, lest I die
And slumber in the dust.

O hear my earnest cry,
Thy favor I entreat;
Hear, while I lift imploring hands
Before Thy mercy seat.

O draw me not away
With men who live in sin,
Who to their neighbors speak of peace,
While malice lurks within.

Repay them for their deeds,
And vile attempts, O Lord,
And for the doings of their hands,
Return a just reward.

Because they disregard
The works the Lord hath done,
By Him they shall not be upbuilt
But utterly o’erthrown.

Now blessèd be the Lord,
He heard me when I cried;
Jehovah is my strength and shield,
On Him my heart relied.

I help from Him obtained,
And therefore give Him praise;
And while my heart exults with joy,
My song to Him I raise.

God is His people’s strength,
And His Messiah’s power;
Save, bless, and feed Thy heritage,
Exalt them ev­er­more.