Hymn HIstory-Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow

  • January 8, 2011
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Hymn History Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow All praise to Thee, my God, this night, For all the blessings of the light! Keep me, O keep me, King of kings, Beneath Thine own almighty wings. Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son, The ill that I this day have done, That with the world, myself, and Thee, I, ere I sleep, at peace may be. Teach me to live, that I may dread The grave as little as my bed. Teach me to die, that so I may Rise glorious at the judgment day. O may my soul on Thee repose, And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close, Sleep that may me more vigorous make To serve my God when I awake. When in the night I sleepless lie, My soul with heavenly thoughts supply; Let no ill dreams disturb my rest, No powers of darkness me molest. O when shall I, in endless day, For ever chase dark sleep away, And hymns divine with angels sing, All praise to thee, eternal King? 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. Thomas Ken (1637-1711) Even before Charles Wesley or Isaac Watts, a hymnist by the name of Thomas Ken was dubbed, ‘England’s first hymnist’. Thomas Ken was born in 1637 and lived on the outskirts of greater London. His parents died when he was young and he was raised by his half-sister and her husband. Thomas attended Winchester College and became a chaplain. He wanted to motivate boys to develop solid habits of reading and studying daily devotions. He wrote three hymns in 1674 to try and encourage this. This hymn was part of that plan. The boys would sing one stanza in the morning, one in the evening and one at midnight if they were still awake. This song was sung at his funeral in 1711.


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