O God of mercy, God of might

O God of mercy, God of might. Godfrey Thring* (1823-1903). Written in 1887, and published in A Church of England Hymn Book (1880). It should not be confused with hymns by other authors with the same opening. Many different tunes are used. The hymn follows Thring’s favoured pattern of stanzas consisting of three eight-syllable rhymed lines followed by a shorter final line; the final lines all end with the same word, ‘thee’, giving unity to the whole. In stanza five some hymnals print ‘when’ instead of ‘where’ in the lines ‘May we, where help is needed, there/ Give help as unto thee’; and other minor alterations are sometimes made to remove the words ‘man’ and ‘brethren’. The American...