O Lord of Hosts, Who Didst Upraise

O Lord of hosts

who didst up­raise

Strong cap­tains to de­fend the right

In dark­er years and stern­er days

And arm­èdst Is­ra­el for the fight;

Thou mad­est Jo­shua true and strong

And Da­vid framed the bat­tle song.

And we must we bat­tle yet? Must we

Who bear the ten­der name di­vine

Still bar­ter life for vic­to­ry

Still glo­ry in the crim­son sign?

The Cru­ci­fied be­tween us stands

And lifts on high His wound­ed hands.

Lord

we are weak and will­ful yet

The fault is in our cloud­ed eyes;

But Thou

through ang­uish and re­gret

Dost make Thy faith­less child­ren wise;

Through wrong

through hate

Thou dost ap­prove

The far off vic­to­ries of love.

And so

from out the heart of strife

Diviner ech­oes peal and thrill

The scorned de­lights

the lav­ished life

The pain that serves a na­tion’s will:

Thy com­fort stills the mourn­er’s cries

And love is crowned by sac­ri­fice.

As rains that weep the clouds away

As winds that leave a calm in Heav­en

So let the slay­er cease to slay;

The pass­ion healed

the wrath for­giv­en

Draw near­er

bid the tu­mult cease

Redeemer

Sav­ior

Prince of Peace!