Lord, thee, my strength, I'll dearly love

1 Lord thee my strength I'll dearly love:
2 The Lord's my rock and refuge sure,
My fortress, savior, God and shield,
My rock, on whom I rest secure;
My horn of safety, my high tower:
3 Jehovah I will call on thee
Who worthy to be praised art;
So from my foes saved I shall be.

4 Amazing sorrows seized my soul,
While death its cords around me laid;
As when impetuous torrents roll
Ungodly men my soul dismayed.
5 The cords of hell encompassed me,
And death it's snares around me drew;
They seized and caught me unawares,
E'er I the approaching danger knew.

6 Distressed, I called on the Lord,
Cried to my God, and he did hear;
He from his temple heard my voice,
My cry received into his ear.
7 And then the earth affrighted shook,
The utmost trembling on it seized:
The mountains their foundations moved,
Because they saw him high displeased.

8 Smoke from his nostrils there arose;
And fire devouring dreadfully
Forth from his mouth their issued;
Bright coals enkindled were thereby.
9 The heavens aloft He made to bow,
Descending in a martial form;
And all beneath his feet appeared,
Thick darkness, and a gathering storm.

10 He on a flying cherub rode,
In his exalted majesty:
And on the wings of swiftest winds,
He irresistibly did fly.
11 He darkness made his secret place:
His awful covert round him were
Darkness of waters and thick clouds,
Which overspread the gloomy air.

12 But at the brightness flashing forth
Before him, his thick clouds conspire
To pass along, and cast abroad
Hail-stones, and burning coals of fire.

[2 Part.]

13 From heaven Jehovah thundered loud;
The highest gave his mighty voice;
Hail-stones, and glowing coals of fire
He cast with dreadful power and noise.
14 His arrows forth he sent abroad,
Which made my foes disperse and fly;
His lightnings shot and multiplied,
Which them defeated utterly.

15 Then were the waters channels seen,
The world's foundations opened were,
At thy rebuke Lord, at the blast
Of thy displeasure's breath, laid bare.
16 From heaven he sent and on me seized,
And from the mighty waters drew;
17 He saved me from my mighty foes,
Whose power too mighty for me grew.

18 In my dark day they me surprised;
Yet was the Lord a stay to me.
19 Because in me He took delight,
He hath enlarged and set me free.
20 The LORD rewarded my pure hands,
And recompensed my upright heart;
21 For I did keep Jehovah's ways,
Nor wickedly my God desert.

22 For all his laws before me were,
His statutes from me put not I:
23 Yea I before him was upright,
And kept from mine iniquity.
24 According to my uprightness
Therefore the Lord rewarded me;
And to the pureness of my hands,
Which his all-viewing eye did see.

[3 Part]

25 Thou gracious to the gracious art,
To upright ones wilt upright be;
25 Pure to the pure; but strive with them
Who froward are, and strive with thee.
27 For thou wilt the afflicted save,
And high looks thou wilt bring down low:
28 But thou wilt light my lamp; the Lord
My God, my darkness shine into.

29 By thee with dauntless courage fired,
Embattled troops I pierced through:
An by my God assisting me,
I sealed the ramparts of my foe.
30 The way of God most perfect is;
Jehovah's word is thoroughly tried;
He is their shield, their sure defense,
Who steadfastly in him confide.

31 For who is God except the LORD?
O who a rock our God beside?
32 It's God who girdeth me with strength,
And in a perfect way does guide:
33 He makes my feet swift as the roe;
On my high places makes me stand;
34 Mine arms can break the brazen bow,*
So well for war he taught my hand.

35 The shield of thy salvation Thou
Bestowed likewise hast on me;
And thy right hand hath me upheld;
Thy favor made me great to be.

[4 Part]

35 My steps thou mad'st both large and sure,
As I my flying foes pursued:
37 I overtook them: nor did turn,
Till I had wholly them subdued.
38 So fatally I wounded them,
In vain they tried their heads to rear;
And all bereaved of strength thy fell,
Beneath my feet, and grovelled there.

39 Thou girdest me with fortitude
To battle with my mighty foes;
And hast subdued them to me
Who fiercely up against me rose.
40 The necks of all mine enemies,
By Thee to me subjected are;
That I might justly cut them off
Who to me mortal hatred bear.

41 They cried and called out earnestly;
But there was none appeared to save:
Yea even to the Lord himself;
But he to them no answer gave.
42 Then like the dust driven all abroad,
When boisterous winds arise and blow,
I beat them small; and as the dirt
Into the street, I them did throw.

43 From all the people's strivings Thou
Hast me delivered this glad day,
And of the nations made me head:
People unknown shall me obey.
44 At the first hearing they'll submit:
Strangers shall bow themselves to me:
45 The strangers sons shall fade away,
And from their coverts frighted be.

[5 Part]

46 Live LORD, and let my rock be blessed;
My Savior God exalted be;
47 God who avenges me, and who
brings down the people under me.
48 My savior from mine enemies:
Yea me thou hast advanced indeed
Above them that against me rose,
And from the violent mean me freed.

49 Therefore among the nations, Lord,
To Thee my thanks I will proclaim;
To Thee, victorious loudly will
Sing forth the praises of thy name.
50 He treat deliverance gives his king,
And boundless favor has in store,
For his Messiah, David sure,
And for his seed for evermore.

The Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of the Old and New Testament, 1758