Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” (Psalm 103:1).

“Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” might be a not too familiar hymn, nevertheless, the author of this hymn is very well known because of other of his hymns, like “ Abide with Me” and “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken.” His name was  Henry F. Lyte. He was born at Ednam, near Kelso, on June 1, 1793; his father was captain Thomas Lyte. When he was in college, he became very popular for writing poems, and he won several awards because of his talent for writing poetry.

He became a pastor and was a faithful pastor in his local church in Brixham for twenty-three years. He loved to write hymns based on psalms and “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” is a wonderful example of this.

“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.”

He became very sick, his lungs were weak, nevertheless, he established a Sunday school of eight hundred children in Brixham. He was a faithful pastor, not just to his flock but also to sailors on the docks, plus, he wrote many sermons, poems, and hymns; everything that he did, was for God’s glory.

“Frail as summer's flow'r we flourish;
blows the wind and it is gone;
but, while mortals rise and perish,
God endures unchanging on:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise the high eternal One.”

He wrote this hymn for a collection that he created in 1834. Just for trivia information, this hymn was later chosen by Princess Elizabeth, who became Queen Elizabeth II, for her wedding hymn in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947 – the one hundredth anniversary of Lyte’s death.

Yes, Henry Lyte died on November 20, 1847, on the French Riviera, because doctors told him to spend the rest of his life in a warmer clime. Two months before his death, he preached his last sermon and celebrated the Lord’s Supper for the last time with his congregation. What a wonderful example. We know that, because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, our brother Lyte is in heaven singing with the angels and saints, the glories of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“Angels in the height, adore Him;
Ye behold Him face to face;
Saints triumphant, bow before Him;
gathered in from ev'ry race;
Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise with us the God of grace.”

“Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!

Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!” (Psalm 103:20-22).
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In His service,
Israel