964

Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow

Full Text

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen, amen.

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Scripture References

Further Reflections on Scripture References

The text calls forth praise to God from the whole universe, from creatures on earth and from saints and angels in heaven. Concluding with praise for the Trinity, this doxology is likely the most well-known expression of the doctrine of the Trinity in hymn form.

 

Bert Polman, Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

How can the worshiper not conclude with such acclamations! When God is the “overflowing source of all good” (Belgic Confession, Article 1) and when he has provided all the benefits of Christ’s atonement and makes them ours so that “they are more than enough to absolve us from our sins,” (Belgic Confession, Article 22) our hearts cry out to him with praise and adoration. Therefore, Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 52, Question and Answer 128 includes the ending doxology of the Lord’s Prayer and teaches that “your holy name, and not we ourselves, should receive all the praise, forever.” And so consistent with these thoughts, Our World Belongs to God, paragraph 2 exclaims, “Our World Belongs to God! God is King: Let the earth be glad! Christ is victor: His rule has begun! The Spirit is at work: Creation is renewed! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” And the Belhar Confession, Section 5 concludes: “Jesus is Lord. To the one and only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be the honor and the glory forever and ever.”

964

Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow

Additional Prayers

A Prayer of Thanksgiving
 
We give you thanks, generous God, for all the gifts of your love—for power that regenerates our hearts, for grace that justifies and sanctifies, for the prospect, one day, of rounding third base and coming home. You are the God from whom all blessings flow. Amen.
— Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
964

Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow

Tune Information

Name
NEW DOXOLOGY
Key
C Major
Meter
8.8.8.8

Recordings

964

Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow

Hymn Story/Background

The practice of adding a Gloria Patri doxology to Old Testament psalms and New Testament canticles is an ancient tradition in the Christian church. After the Reformation, many Protestant groups kept up that practice; for example, Puritan psalters included various metrical versions of the Gloria Patri for use with the singing of the psalms in meter. This text is the most famous of such metrical doxologies. It was written by Thomas Ken, possibly as early as 1674, for the conclusion of each of his "Three Hymns for Morning, Evening, and Midnight." The three hymns were published in the 1695 edition of Ken's A Manual of Prayers (for use at Winchester College) and revised in the 1709 edition. Eventually, this doxology began to be used independently of Ken's hymn texts.
 
The text calls forth praise to God from the whole universe, from creatures on earth and from saints and angels in heaven. Concluding with praise for the Trinity, this doxology is likely the most well-known expression of the doctrine of the Trinity in hymn form.
 
NEW DOXOLOGY is a musical setting from the oral traditions of the African American community. The first phrase of this tune is identical to DUKE STREET, and that may cause confusion in some congregations. The harmonization is unmistakably African American gospel style, however, and should be accompanied by piano and other instruments including drums (if played on the organ, this tune could be simplified by omitting some of the triplets, especially on the "Amen" line). 
— Bert Polman

Author Information

Thomas Ken (b. Berkampstead, Hertfordshire, England, 1637; d. Longleat, Wiltshire, England, 1711) studied at Winchester College, Hart Hall, and New College, Oxford, England. Ordained in the Church of England in 1662, he served variously as pastor, chaplain at Winchester College (1669-1679), chaplain to Princess (later Queen) Mary in The Hague, and bishop of Bath and Wells (1685-1691). He was a man of conscience and independent mind who did not shirk from confrontations with royalty. When King Charles II came to visit Winchester, he took along his mistress, the famous actress Nell Gwynne. Ken was asked to provide lodging for her. The story is told that Ken quickly declared his house under repair and had a builder take off the roof! He later was dismissed from the court at The Hague when he protested a case of immorality. Then, later in 1688, Bishop Ken refused to read King James II's Declaration of Indulgence in the churches, which granted greater religious freedom in England, and he was briefly imprisoned in the Tower of London. A few years later he refused to swear allegiance to King William, and he lost his bishopric.
 
Ken wrote many hymns, which were published posthumously in 1721 and repub­lished in 1868 as Bishop Ken s Christian Year, or Hymns and Poems for the Holy Days and Festivals of the Church. But he is best known for his morning, evening, and midnight hymns, each of which have as their final stanza the famous doxology “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow.”
— Bert Polman
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