Hear Thou from Thy dwelling place, even from Heaven; and when Thou hearest, forgive.
2 Chronicles 6:21
Words: Horatius Bonar, Hymns of Faith and Hope 1866.
Music: Intercession New William H. Callcott, 1867 (🔊 pdf nwc).
If you know where to get a good photo of Callcott (head-and-shoulders, at least 200×300 pixels),
His son says, ‘My father was asked to provide words to the music, and was specially requested to furnish a fitting refrain to the two lovely lines of Mendelssohn’s, with which Callcott’s tune “Intercession” ends.
In searching for a Scripture theme containing some reiterated phrase almost of the nature of a refrain, he was struck with Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple (2 Chron. vi.), in which every separate petition concludes with substantially the same words
This idea was taken for the starting point, and Solomon’s words, Hear Thou from heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive,
became the familiar couplet…This foundation once provided, the rest of the hymn was built upon it.
This hymn my father liked, as he often told me, as well as any he had ever written; for though he saw flaws in the poetry, the subject and working out and whole tone of it seemed to him far better than many other of his pieces which had attained greater popularity’ (Hymns of Horatius Bonar, p. xxii.).
It was Bishop Fraser of Manchester’s favourite hymn.
Telford, pp. 362–63
When the weary, seeking rest,
To Thy goodness flee;
When the heavy laden cast
All their load on Thee;
When the troubled, seeking peace,
On Thy name shall call;
When the sinner, seeking life,
At Thy feet shall fall:
Refrain
Hear then in love, O Lord, the cry
In Heav’n, Thy dwelling place on high.
When the child, with grave fresh lip,
Youth, or maiden fair,
When the agèd, weak and grey,
Seek Thy face in prayer;
When the widow weeps to Thee,
Sad and lone and low;
When the orphan brings to Thee
All his orphan woe:
Refrain
When the stranger asks a home,
All his toils to end;
When the hungry craveth food,
And the poor a friend;
When the sailor on the wave
Bows the fervent knee;
When the soldier on the field
Lifts his heart to Thee:
Refrain
When the man of toil and care,
In the city crowd,
When the shepherd on the moor,
Names the name of God;
When the learnèd and the high
Tired of earthly fame,
Upon higher joys intent,
Name the blessèd name:
Refrain
When the worldling, sick at heart,
Lifts his soul above;
When the prodigal looks back
To his Father’s love;
When the proud man, in his pride,
Stoops to seek Thy face;
When the burdened brings his guilt
To Thy throne of grace:
Refrain