Lord of Hosts, we look to Thee

Verse 1
Lord of hosts we look to thee,
To thee in faith we call,
Terrible in majesty
Thou reignest over all,
Thy great arm salvation brings,
Thou o’er-rul’st th’ imbattled powers,
Giv’st the victory to kings—
O give it now to ours!

Verse 2
Sovereign Arbiter arise,
His lawful right maintain,
Blast and scatter with thine eyes
Whoe’er oppose his reign:
All their strength o’erturn, o’erthrow,
Knap[1] their spears, and break their swords,
Make the daring rebels know
The battle is the Lord’s.

Verse 3
Not by many or by few
Art thou restrain’d to save:
They shall all their foes subdue
Who thee their helper have;
Let the world their powers engage,
Rome’s and hell’s whole conclave join,
Calm we meet their utmost rage,
If arm’d with strength divine.

Verse 4
O Almighty God of love,
Appear on Israel’s side,
Send us succour from above,
Who in thine aid confide:
Lo! We trust in thee alone,
On thy single arm depend,
Jesus help, and save thine own,
And save us to the end.

[1] Knap is an archaic synonym for “knock.” Wesley used “Snap” in a 1746 journal entry quoting the hymn.

Hymnal/Album: Originally titled: "For His Majesty King George." Introduced in John and Charles Wesley, Hymns for Times of Trouble and Persecution, 2nd edition (Bristol: Farley, 1745). Published in The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley, Collected and Arranged by G. Osborn, Vol. 4 (London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1869), page 64.
Publishing: Public Domain