The Great Music of our Faith...

In 1834 the British clergyman Henry Francis Lyte published a collection of 280 hymns based on the Book of Psalms. He called it The Spirit of The Psalms because these hymns were not strictly translation or even paraphrases, but texts loosely inspired by the Psalms. The following hymn was included as a development of Psalm 103. There are many points of comparison.

Queen Elizabeth II chose this hymn to be sung at her wedding in 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 His children 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!

Angels in the height, adore Him;
Ye behold Him face to face!
Saints triumphant, bow before Him,
Gathered in from every race!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise with us, the God of grace!
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Taken from The Complete Book of Hymns compiled by William J Petersen and Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006.

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