Enjoy and meditate on this song by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa on this Lord’s Day as you worship together with your church.
All hail the king of heaven, Christ the Lord of all Whom thund’ring angels circle ‘round, ablaze with all Let now the Hallelujah of Earth in glad refrain Ascend the throne, to him belongs immortal praise
Refrain All hail the king of heaven Creation join together Let endless praises crown his name All hail the king of heaven
All hail the great redeemer, who so humbly came The Lamb of our salvation, O for sinners slain Now let the loud hosanna resound from shore to shore You nations say, “His kingdom reigns forever more!”
Refrain
Let praise of nNations rise now as a symphony to sound the endless wonders of his Majesty Let every heart adore him, the great and small the same Through generations ever let his anthem ring
This song from Emu was written by Liv Chapman for their “Creation Awaits” album, and it was filmed in the beautiful church 12th Century church St Aldates in Oxford, UK. This song has a really simple tune that congregations will catch quickly, and I love the crescendo at the end of each verse of hallelujah. It reminds me that at the end of the ages, when all is said and done and Christ returns, those who have waited for him, from every tribe and tongue will sing together “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns!” Enjoy!
Come and hear the wondrous love The mighty God who reigns above Has entered in to dwell with us Hallelujah
On the earth, our saviour lived The Son of Man, the servant king And by his death, he bore our sin Hallelujah
Refrain The fight is over, the battle done The victory of life is won The song of triumph has begun Hallelujah
The powers of hell had seemed to win But Christ has conquered death and sin Let’s raise our voices for our King! Hallelujah
Refrain
For very soon, he will return And place all things beneath his throne And take us to our heav’nly home Hallelujah
Refrain
So now by faith we persevere And in His strength, we will not fear For as we meet, our God is here Hallelujah
A bout of pleurisy while studying under Peter Bohler led to the renewal of Charles Wesley’s faith on May 21, 1738. One year after this renewal, he decided to write a hymn to commemorate this event. The result was an 18 stanza long poem. The seventh verse, which says, “O for a thousand tongues to sing” has become the first verse of the shorter hymn we know today. The reference for these words is most likely from Peter Bohler who said, “Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise Him with them all.” The hymn was placed first in John Wesley’s A Collection of Hymns for the People Called Methodists published in 1780. The music to which we traditionally sing these words was composed by Lowell Mason in 1839. Mr. Mason was the first music teacher hired by an American public school. He wrote music for over 1600 hymns and is said to be the “Father of American Church Music.”1
O for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer’s praise, The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of his grace!
My gracious Master and my God, Assist me to proclaim, To spread thro’ all the earth abroad The honours of your name.
Jesus! the name that charms our fears, That bids our sorrows cease, ’tis music in the sinner’s ears, ’tis life and health and peace.
He breaks the power of cancelled sin, He sets the prisoner free; His blood can make the foulest clean; His blood availed for me.
To God all glory, praise, and love Be now and ever given By saints below and saints above, The Church in earth and heaven.
Isaac Watts grew up singing only metrical Psalms. He would continually complain to his father about how boring and meaningless they were to him. His father tired of his complaints, challenged him to write something better. The following week, the adolescent Isaac presented his first hymn to the church. Watts did not reject metrical Psalms; he simply wanted to see them more impassioned. “They ought to be translated in such a manner as we have reason to believe David would composed them if he had lived in our day” he wrote. This is one of the most popular hymns and was given in his Psalms of David, 1719, as Pt 2. of his version of Psalm 721.
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun does its successive journeys run, his kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more.
To him shall endless prayer be made, and praises throng to crown his head. His name like sweet perfume shall rise with every morning sacrifice.
People and realms of every tongue dwell on his love with sweetest song, and infant voices shall proclaim their early blessings on his name.
Blessings abound where’er he reigns: the prisoners leap to lose their chains, the weary find eternal rest, and all who suffer want are blest.
Let every creature rise and bring the highest honors to our King, angels descend with songs again, and earth repeat the loud amen.
1page 114 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church
I came across this hymn when looking for hymns related to Proverbs 9, and the personification of Wisdom and Folly.This hymn by Charles Wesley appeared in Hymns for those that seek and those that have Redemption, 1747. It tells of the joys that are had for those who gain wisdom, and ultimately gain Christ.
Happy the man who finds the grace, The blessing of God’s chosen race, The wisdom coming from above, The faith that sweetly works by love.
Wisdom divine! who tells the price Of wisdom’s costly merchandise? Wisdom to silver we prefer, And gold is dross compared to her.
Her hands are filled with length of days, True riches, and immortal praise, Riches of Christ on all bestowed, And honour that descends from God.
To purest joys she all invites, Chaste, holy, spiritual delights; Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her flowery paths are peace.
Happy the man who wisdom gains; Thrice happy, who his guest retains; He owns, and shall for ever own, Wisdom, and Christ, and heaven, are one.
According to the editor of The Oxford Edition of the Works of John Wesley (Oxford: Clarendon, 1975-1983, vol. 7), “And Can It Be” was written immediately after Charles Wesley’s conversion (May 21, 1738). Wesley knew his Bible well prior to this time, but had not yet experienced assurance of new birth or the fulness of grace in his life. The editor also that it was probably this hymn, or “Where Should My Wond’ring Soul Begin?” that was sung late on the evening of his brother John’s Aldersgate Street conversion just three days later on May 241.
And can it be that I should gain An int’rest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! how can it be That Thou, my God, should die for me?
Refrain: Amazing love! how can it be That Thou, my God, should die for me!
‘Tis mystery all! Th’Immortal dies! Who can explore His strange design? In vain the firstborn seraph tries To sound the depths of love divine! ‘Tis mercy all! let earth adore, Let angel minds inquire no more.
Refrain
He left His Father’s throne above, So free, so infinite His grace; Emptied Himself of all but love, And bled for Adam’s helpless race; ‘Tis mercy all, immense and free; For, O my God, it found out me.
Refrain
Long my imprisoned spirit lay Fast bound in sin and nature’s night; Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose, went forth and followed Thee.
Refrain
No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him is mine! Alive in Him, my living Head, And clothed in righteousness divine, Bold I approach th’eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
There are several accounts as to the origin of the beautiful hymn “Fairest Lord Jesus.” The best known legend is that it was sung by the twelfth century German Crusaders, as they made their long, weary way to the Holy Land. Another, more credible account is that it was sung by the followers of John Hus, who were driven out of Bohemia in 1620 in the anti-Reformation purge, who settled in Silesia, now part of Poland. They had to keep their faith secret, yet had a strong tradition of hymn singing. I like the below version sung by Emu Music with updated words; enjoy!
Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature, O thou of God and man the Son, Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honour, Thou, my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.
Fair are the meadows, Fairer still the woodlands, Robed in the blooming garb of spring: Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer Who makes the woeful heart to sing.
Fair is the sunshine, Fairer still the moonlight, And all the twinkling starry host: Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer Than all the angels heaven can boast.
Beautiful Saviour! Lord of all the nations! Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honour, Praise, adoration, Now and forevermore be thine.
Horatius Bonar was born in Edinburgh, December 19, 1808. His father was a lawyer, but he came from a long line of eminent Scottish ministers. His mother was a gentle, pious woman, and it was largely through her influence that her three sons, John, Horatius and Andrew, entered the ministry of the Church of Scotland. In one of the most squalid parts of the city he conducted services and Sunday school in a hall. The children did not seem to enjoy singing the Psalm paraphrases, which were still exclusively used by the Church of Scotland at that late date, and therefore Bonar decided to write songs of his own.Dr. Bonar wrote alot of his hymns for children; but they are so profound and intensely spiritual in their very simplicity they will always satisfy the most mature Christian mind. Bonar is ever pointing in his hymns to Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour, dwelling in simple language on the blessings of the Atonement and the willingness of God to accept all who come to Him through Christ1.
Thy works, not mine, O Christ, Speak gladness to this heart; They tell me all is done; They bid my fear depart. To whom, save Thee, who canst alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
Thy wounds, not mine, O Christ, Can heal my bruised soul, Thy stripes not mine, contain The balm to make me whole. To whom, save Thee, who canst alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
Thy cross, not mine, O Christ, Has borne the awful load Of sins that none in Heav’n Or earth could bear but God. To whom, save Thee, who canst alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
Thy death, not mine, O Christ, Has paid the ransom due; Ten thousand deaths like mine Would have been all too few. To whom, save Thee, who canst alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
Thy righteousness, O Christ, Alone can cover me: No righteousness avails Save that which is of Thee. To whom, save Thee, who canst alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
Little is known about Dorothy Thrupp except she wrote many hymns for children. She often. used the pseudonym “Iota” or the initials D.A.T. This hymn was included in a book she edited for children called “Hymns for the Young”. It is based on Psalm 23 and John 10, where Jesus called Himself “the Good Shepherd”. Ira Sankey, a famous 19th Century gospel singer who would travel with D.L. Moody, once sang this hymn at a Christmas Eve gathering. Afterwards a man approached him who was a Confederate soldier. He told the story of how he raised his gun to shoot a Union solder, when the man began to sing this hymn. Deciding to wait until he has finished singing the hymn, he then remembered his own mother used to sing this hymn to him; at the end he could not pull the trigger and kill him. The twist in the story was that the soldier who had sang the hymn was Sankey himself!1 Enjoy this one 🙂
Saviour, like a shepherd lead us, Much we need Thy tender care; In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, For our use Thy folds prepare: Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast bought us, Thine we are; Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.
We are Thine, do Thou befriend us, Be the guardian of our way; Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, Seek us when we go astray: Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear, O hear us when we pray; Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear, O hear us when we pray.
Thou hast promised to receive us, Poor and sinful though we be; Thou hast mercy to relieve us, Grace to cleanse, and pow’r to free: Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Early let us turn to Thee; Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Early let us turn to Thee.
Early let us seek Thy favour, Early let us do Thy will; Blessed Lord and only Saviour, With Thy love our bosoms fill: Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast loved us, love us still; Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast loved us, love us still.
1page 98 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church
Written by Charles Wesley, “Jesus, Thine All Victorious Love” comes from the Wesleys’ great compendium, A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists (A Collection of Hymns).2 John Wesley, in the 1779 preface to that collection, calls it a “little body of experimental and practical divinity. This hymn stands out in that collection as an exemplary text for the Easter season. This is the fourth and last in a series of articles in the month of April exploring hymns especially appropriate for Eastertide. As with many Wesley hymns that we sing today, the four stanzas given in the are but part of a much longer hymn called “My God! I know, I feel thee mine.” The complete hymn is found in Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists in the section, “For Believers, Groaning for Full Redemption.” Atop the hymn text in the early editions sits a scripture reference to Romans 4:13, which speaks of the promise God made to Abraham and the righteousness of his faith1. Enjoy!
Jesus, thine all-victorious love shed in my heart abroad; then shall my feet no longer rove, rooted and fixed in God.
O that in me the sacred fire might now begin to glow; burn up the dross of base desire and make the mountains flow!
O that it now from heaven might fall and all my sins consume! Come, Holy Ghost, for thee I call, Spirit of burning, come!
Refining fire, go through my heart, illuminate my soul; scatter thy life through every part and sanctify the whole.
Hymn of the Day 