Ad te levavi

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O Lord that heaven dost possesse

Author: Thomas Sternhold
Published in 2 hymnals

Representative Text

1 O thou that in the heav'ns dost dwell,
I lift my eyes to thee;
Ev'n as a servant lifteth his,
his master's hands to see:

2 As handmaids watch their mistress' hand,
some grace for to achieve,
So we behold the Lord our God,
till he doth us forgive.

3 O grant to us compassion, Lord,
and mercy in thy sight,
For we are fill'd and overcome
with hatred and despight.

4 Our minds are fill'd with great rebuke,
the rich and worldly-wise
Do make of us their mocking-stocks,
the proud do us despise.

Source: The Whole Book of Psalms #CXXIII

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Author: Thomas Sternhold

Thomas Sternhold was Groom of the Robes to Henry VIII and Edward VI. With Hopkins, he produced the first English version of the Psalms before alluded to. He completed fifty-one; Hopkins and others composed the remainder. He died in 1549. Thirty-seven of his psalms were edited and published after his death, by his friend Hopkins. The work is entitled "All such Psalms of David as Thomas Sternhold, late Groome of the King's Majestye's Robes, did in his Lyfetime drawe into Englyshe Metre." Of the version annexed to the Prayer Book, Montgomery says: "The merit of faithful adherence to the original has been claimed for this version, and need not to be denied, but it is the resemblance which the dead bear to the living." Wood, in his "Athe… Go to person page >

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