January 2, 2006

Have faith in God –
His Word and nature speak;
Have faith in God –
True science is to seek;
Have faith in God –
The strength of all the meek.
Have faith, dear friend, in God.

Praise, My Soul, The King of Heaven

Henry Francis Lyte, 1793-1847

    Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul. Psalm 103:22.

    This is a very free paraphrase of Psalm 103, first printed in a collection of 280 psalms Lyte made for his own congregation at Lower Brixham, Devonshire, in 1834, Spirit of the Psalms. Where the psalm uses "Bless the Lord, O my soul," Lyte changes it to the more exuberant "Praise, my soul, the King of heaven."
    In an era when many were insisting that versions of the psalms should be as close to the original wording as possible, the title of his book shows that he was breathing new life into these ancient songs, using his own words while preserving the "spirit."
    This hymn was sung at the wedding of the future Queen Elizabeth II of Britain, in Westminster Abbey, London, 1947.

Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;
To His feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.

Praise Him for His grace and favor
To our fathers in distress.
Praise Him still the same as ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glorious in His faithfulness.

Fatherlike He tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame He knows.
In His hands He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely yet His mercy flows.

Frail as summer’s flower we flourish,
Blows the wind and it is gone;
But while mortals rise and perish
Our God lives unchanging on,
Praise Him, Praise Him, Hallelujah
Praise the High Eternal One!

Angels, help us to adore Him;
Ye behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
Dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.

Have Faith in God by H.M.S. Richards, Used by Permission