I've been trying to remember this song on my own, I remember hearing it in "The Secret Garden", it was very beautiful and I finally caved and look it up.

Glad I did, this song has so many meanings!

Thomas Ken 1637-1711

The four lines of the Doxology have been the most frequently sung words of any song for more than 300 years. It has been said that the Doxology has done more to teach the doctrine of the Trinity than all other theological books ever written.

The author of this text was a bold outspoken seventeenth century Anglican Bishop named Thomas Ken. He was born at Little Berkhampstead, England, in 1637 and became an orphan in early childhood. Ken was educated at Winchester School where he was raised under the care of his older sister and her famous husband, Izaak Walton who wrote the book ‘The Compleat Angler. ’ Later Ken attended Oxford University and was ordained in 1662 as a minister of the Church of England. Following ordination, he served as chaplain to the Bishop of Winchester.

In 1679 he was sent to Holland where he was the English chaplain at the royal court at Hague. Ken, however, was so outspoken in denouncing the corrupt lives of those in authority in the capital city that he was compelled to leave the following year.

When he returned to England Charles II appointed him as one of his chaplains. Ken had the same boldness for the king and rebuked him for his immoral misconduct. Charles praised him for his courage calling Ken ‘A good little chaplain’ and when chapel time came he would say, “I must go in and hear Ken tell me my faults. ” Eventually the king rewarded Thomas by appointing him to be the Bishop of the Bath and Wells area.

Twelve days after Bishop Ken’s appointment, Charles died. James II became furious with Ken because he refused to read the Royal Declaration of Indulgence that would give freedom of religion and thereby establish religious tolerance to the new monarch’s Catholic faith which at the time was a minority. Ken and six other Anglican Church leaders were imprisoned in the Tower of London. Although Thomas was later acquitted, he was removed from being a Bishop in 1691 by William III. The rest of Ken’s life was spent quietly in obscurity with his good friend Lord Weymouth at his home in Longleat, Wiltshire. Thomas Ken died in 1711 at the age of 74. The historian Macaulay said of Ken that he came as near to the ideal of Christian perfection “as human weakness permits. ”

Thomas Ken wrote a number of hymns, and it was always his desire that Christians be allowed to express their praise to God without being limited to Psalmody and the Bible canticles. He was one of the first English writers to produce hymns that were not based on the Psalms only.

In 1673 Thomas Ken wrote a book entitled ”A Manual of Prayers for the Use of Winchester College. ” In one of the editions of this manual Ken included three of his hymns that he wanted the students to sing each day as part of their devotions. They were called “Morning Hymn, ” “Evening Hymns, ” and “Midnight Hymn. ” Each of these hymns closed with the familiar four lines we know as the Doxology.

The tune for Bishop Ken’s text, “Old Hundredth, ” is said to be the most famous of all Christian hymn tunes. It was composed by Louis Bourgeois, born in Paris, France, c. 1510. In 1541 Bourgeois moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where he became an ardent follower of John Calvin and the Reformed Reformation Movement. Here he was given the responsibility to provide tunes for the new metrical psalms being prepared at that time. He was responsible for the Geneva Psalter which was completed and published in 1562. The tune was originally prepared for Psalm 134 and was included in the Geneva Psalter of 1551. The first English words to which it was linked to was William Kethe’s version of Psalm 100, “All People That on Earth Do Dwell ; ” this the tune became known as “The Hundredth. ”

He died in 1561.

Praise God, look up all you His Saints for the time draws near. Mathew Chapter 24

Always seems to speak to me.

Praise GOD!!!!

I love , I love, I love this hymn alway...

Rick Rippell I’m from Collingdale, PA. God bless you!

i always loved this short hymn sung as the offering was presented at st james episcopal church in phila

when I hear it now some 50 years later, those wonderful memories of my family together on those sunday mornings come flooding back as the tears stream down my face.

i am extremely proud of my episcopalian heritage. thank you mom & dad!!

All of a sudden just came this prayer in my mind which was pretty much the prayer I recited and sang every single day during my childhood and yet I couldn't remember some phrase correctly but now I have recaptured it and will keep in heart. It is a simple and clear message that our God is the master above all creatures and the reason we breathe, so we have the responsibility to praise and give thanks for all He has done for us.

Yes, like the words of a recent comment. The LORD blessed me with this song this morning which I hadn't sung in 50 years. Praise the LORD.

I find by repeating this phase I gain the strength I need to make it through each day。