Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven is a Christian hymn. Its text, which draws from Psalm 103, was written by Anglican divine (clergyman) Henry Francis Lyte.[1] The hymn is frequently sung in the United Kingdom and was used in the 1947 royal wedding of H.R.H. the Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[1]
Lyrics
Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;
To His feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who like me His praise should sing
Praise him ! Praise him!
Praise the everlasting King.
Praise Him for His grace and favour
To our fathers in distress.
Praise Him still the same for ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless
Praise him ! Praise him!
Glorious in His faithfulness.
Father-like He tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame He knows.
In His hands He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Praise him ! Praise him !
Widely as His mercy flows
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
Praise him ! Praise him !
Praise with us the God of grace.
There is a fifth stanza to the poem, not often seen, inserted between the third and fourth stanzas above:
Frail as summer's flower we flourish,
Blows the wind and it is gone;
But while mortals rise and perish
God endures unchanging on,
Praise Him, praise Him,
Praise Him, praise Him,
Praise the High Eternal One!
References
- 1 2 Randy Petersen (2014). Be Still, My Soul The Inspiring Stories Behind 175 of the Most-loved Hymns. Tyndale House Publishers. p. 267. ISBN 978-1-4143-7972-2.