O King of kings, O Lord of hosts, Whose throne is lifted high
Above the nations of the earth, the armies of the sky,
The spirits of perfected saints may give their nobler songs
And we, Thy children, worship Thee, to Whom all praise belongs.
Thou Who hast sown the sky with stars, and set Thy thoughts in gold,
Hast crowned our nation’s life, and ours, with blessings manifold;
Thy mercies have been numberless; Thy love, Thy grace, Thy care,
Were wider than our utmost need, and higher than our prayer.
O King of kings, O Lord of hosts, our fathers’ God and ours!
Be with us in the future years; and if the tempest lowers,
Look through the cloud with light of love, and smile our tears away
And lead us through the brightening years to heaven’s eternal day.
About the writer: Henry Burton, a Methodist minister, was born in 1840 in the house where his grandmother, in 1818 organized the first Wesleyan juvenile missionary society. His parents moved to America in his boyhood and he was educated at Beloit College. After his graduation he became a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He later moved back to London where he preached and wrote scholarly works and poetry until his death.
Key Verse: On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords. –Revelation 19:16