Our Hymn of Praise today is the well-known #83, O Worship the
King, All Glorious Above. Robert Grant based this hymn on Psalm 104. Grant
was the governor of Bombay, India.
Who coverest Himself with light as a garment;
Who maketh the clouds His chariot;
Who walketh on the wings of the wind.
Thou art clothed with honor and majesty,
You cover Yourself with light,
the heavens are your canopy,
You make the clouds your chariot.
Read this Psalm, and note how it goes through the seven days of
creation week, following the Genesis 1 sequence! The hymn was first published
in 1833. The following year Grant was appointed governor of Bombay, India.
The hymntune, LYONS, was composed by Johann Michael Haydn, younger
brother of the more famous Franz Joseph Hayden. Johann composed over 300 pieces
of church music, all of which were initialed O.a.m.D.Gl. (Omnia ad mahorem
Del Gloriam - “All for the Greater Glory of God�).
O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His wonderful love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.
O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.
Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end!
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.
