One of Newton’s most well-known hymns, “Glorious things of thee are spoken,” was first published in 1779 in Olney Hymns, a collection of his and close friend William Cowper for public worship. Newton would later describe the publication as “a monument, to perpetuate the remembrance of an intimate and endeared friendship.”¹ 

Glorious things of you are spoken,
Zion, city of our God;
He whose word cannot be broken
formed you for his own abode.
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake your sure repose?
With salvation’s walls surrounded,
You may smile at all your foes.

See, the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love,
Well supply your sons and daughters
And all fear of want remove.
Who can faint while such a river
Ever will their thirst assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,
Never fails from age to age.

Round each habitation hov’ring,
See the cloud and fire appear
For a glory and a cov’ring,
Showing that the Lord is near.
Thus deriving from their banner
Light by night and shade by day,
Safe they feed upon the manna
Which he gives them on their way.

Saviour, since of Zion’s city
I thro’ grace a member am,
Let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in your name.
Fading are the world’s vain pleasures,
All their boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasures
None but Zion’s children know.

¹umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-glorious-things-of-thee-are-spoken

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Anglican composer Robert Grant (1779-1838) was born and died in India—a country that by this time had long played a major role in the British Empire. He was a public servant distinguishing himself in law, serving as a member of Parliament, judge advocate general and governor of Bombay (now Mumbai). His father Charles was a leader in the evangelical wing of the Church of England and also played an active civic role with William Wilberforce in the emancipation of African slaves in the British Empire. Robert was born in India when his father went there to negotiate an end to barriers set up against missions by the British East India Company. The hymn was published posthumously in 1839 in Sacred Poems, a volume edited by Grant’s brother, Lord Glenelg. The hymn is based primarily on the rich imagery of Psalm 104:1-7¹.

O worship the King all glorious above,
and gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendour and girded with praise.

O tell of his might and sing of his grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space;
his chariots of wrath the deep thunder-clouds form,
and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

The earth, with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, your power has founded of old;
established it fast, by a changeless decree,
and round it has cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.

We children of dust are feeble and frail –
in you do we trust, for you never fail;
your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end!
our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend.

O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,
whom angels delight to worship above!
Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,
in true adoration shall sing to your praise!

¹umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-o-worship-the-king

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This song written by Chris Eaton, Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, Kelly Minter, and Stuart Townend is based on Psalm 91, the well-known Psalm telling of God as our refuge and fortress, with whom we can fully trust in every circumstance. I have included the live version from the Sing! 2018 conference; enjoy!

My dwelling place is God Most High,
My refuge and my fortress.
When plague and pestilence draw nigh,
I’m hidden in His presence.
When terrors fall and arrows fly,
His shield will be my safety.
When stones across my pathway lie,
On angels’ wings I’m carried.

My dwelling place is God Most High,
A present help in danger.
I rest secure in Love’s pure light,
Beneath my Master’s favour.
He freed me from the fowler’s snare,
Where sin and shame had bound me.
Deceived I made my refuge there,
Till fearless He came for me.

Refrain
Wonderful, powerful, my hope and my defender,
Mighty God, Emmanuel, my dwelling place forever.

My dwelling place is God Most High,
I’ll never seek another.
For I am His and He is mine,
My heart He’ll keep forever.
I know the name on whom I call,
He promises to answer.
With life He satisfies my soul,
And crowns me with his pleasure.

Refrain

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This song, based on Psalm 93, is written by Matt Searles on his album “Psalms for Congregations, Vol 2”. Using the vocals of Sovereign Grace’s Lacy Hudson, he has written new songs to some melodies that are familiar to congregations. Although not on Youtube, you can listen to the song here.

Lord you reign in glorious light
Robed in majesty;
You uphold the earth and sky
From your ageless throne.

Your decrees are ever sure
Age to age they stand;
Holiness adorns your courts
Lord, for endless days.

Refrain
Ruler of the ocean deep
You command the raging seas.
Lord you are mighty.
Lord you are mighty.

Storms may come and floods may rise;
Be our refuge Lord most high.

Refrain

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This last version of Psalm 23 by Stuart Townend is the version I often find myself humming. It has a very catch melody, and I’m sure it will leave you humming too! Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me lie in pastures green.
He leads me by the still, still waters,
His goodness restores my soul.

Refrain
And I will trust in You alone,
And I will trust in You alone,
For Your endless mercy follows me,
Your goodness will lead me home.

He guides my ways in righteousness,
And He anoints my head with oil,
And my cup, it overflows with joy,
I feast on His pure delights.

Refrain

And though I walk the darkest path,
I will not fear the evil one,
For You are with me, and Your rod and staff
Are the comfort I need to know.

Refrain

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This penultimate song is from CityAlight and draws on many of the themes from Psalm 23; enjoy!

Though I walk through the valley
And I can’t see the way;
When the shadows surround me
I will not be afraid.

For I know You are with me,
You will always provide;
Though the path may be lonely,
You will stay by my side.
I will rest my soul;
I’ll trust in You alone.

Refrain
For the Lord my Shepherd
Leads me, leads me
And He is all I need
In the darkest valley
I know, I know
My Shepherd is all I need

Lord I know that You seek me,
When I’m trying to hide;
And Your love it pursues me,
All the days of my life.
I will rest my soul
I’ll trust in You alone

Refrain

I rest my soul
In You alone
You light my way
You lead me on

Refrain

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Sir Henry Williams Baker (1821-1877), the author of this hymn and also the vicar of Monkland Priory Church in Herefordshire, England. He wrote many hymns of fine emotion and intellect, and yet his lyrical transcription of the 23rd Psalm was what came to him as he approached “death’s dark vale.” He died in 1877 in the parsonage of the church where he had served for more than thirty years – he is said to have spoken stanza three of this hymn as his last words before dying¹.

The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if I am his,
And he is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul he leadeth;
And where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed,
But yet in love he sought me;
And on his shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill,
With thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

And so through all the length of days,
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house forever.

¹umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-the-king-of-love-my-shepherd-is

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This song is a versification of the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible (1611), now often ascribed to Cornish nobleman Francis Rous (1580–1659); it appeared only four decades after the KJV and remains one of the most assuring versions of Psalm 23 nearly four centuries later. I have included 2 modern versions below.

The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want
He makes me down to lie;
In pastures green: He leadeth me
the quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again
and me to walk doth make;
Within the paths of righteousness
ev’n for His own name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
and staff, my comfort still.

My table Thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint
And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house for evermore
My dwelling-place shall be.

¹worship.calvin.edu/resources/resource-library/michael-hawn-ten-favorite-hymns-on-psalm-23/

This hymn based on Psalm 23 was written during the American Civil War by Joseph Gilmore (1834–1918), a New England seminary professor and Baptist minister. Preaching at First Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Gilmore described the hymn’s origins: “I set out to give the people an exposition of the twenty-third psalm, which I had given before on three or four occasions, but this time I did not get further than the words ‘He leadeth me.’ Psalm 23:2, ‘he leadeth me beside the still waters,’ became the theme of the song.” The hymn lyrically follows the flow of the psalm and is anchored in the refrain added by composer William Bradbury (1816–1868), which states the theme “He leadeth me” four times, offering abiding assurance¹.

He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Refrain:
He leadeth me, he leadeth me;
by his own hand he leadeth me:
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
sometimes where Eden’s flowers bloom,
by waters calm, o’er troubled sea,
still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Refrain

Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

Refrain

And when my task on earth is done,
when, by thy grace, the victory’s won,
e’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
since God through Jordan leadeth me.

Refrain

¹worship.calvin.edu/resources/resource-library/michael-hawn-ten-favorite-hymns-on-psalm-23/

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The next song based on Psalm 23 is this song from Sovereign Grace’s latest album; I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one!

Jesus the shepherd of my soul,
All of my needs supplies;
By living waters gives me rest,
Keeping me by His side.
Bringing my wandering spirit back,
When I forsake His ways;
Leading me for His mercy’s sake,
In paths of truth and grace.

Jesus the shepherd of my soul,
When in the valley deep;
Death like a shadow hides my way,
Still You are leading me.
I will not fear the darkest hour,
Faithful You will remain;
Comforting with Your rod and staff,
Driving my fears away.

Jesus the shepherd of my soul,
Keeping me from all harm;
Ever until He leads me home,
Safely into His arms.
When I behold Him face to face,
Then I will look and see;
Goodness and mercy from His hand,
Surely have followed me.

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