Today’s hymn comes from a man who is thought to have been one of the scholars behind the Geneva Bible of 1560. He lived for a time in Geneva (overlapping dates with the great John Calvin) and worked on 25 Psalm versifications for an English psalter. This one, derived from Ps. 100, has endured until today and found the most popularity. The tune also comes from Calvin’s service to the church, being attributed to his music director Louis Bourgeois.

“Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalm 100:3 ESV)

1 All people that on earth do dwell,
sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
him serve with fear, his praise forth tell,
come ye before him and rejoice.

2 The Lord ye know is God indeed;
without our aid he did us make;
we are his folk, he doth us feed,
and for his sheep he doth us take.

3 O enter then his gates with praise,
approach with joy his courts unto;
praise, laud, and bless his name always,
for it is seemly so to do.

4 For why? The Lord our God is good,
his mercy is forever sure;
his truth at all times firmly stood,
and shall from age to age endure.

Today’s hymn is by German lawyer and hymnist Johann Jakob Schütz (1640-1690). The recording above has only two verses, and the second isn’t copied below. Perhaps it’s another translation.

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end” (Lamentations 3:22 ESV).

1 Sing praise to God who reigns above,
The God of all creation,
The God of pow’r, the God of love,
The God of our salvation;
With healing balm my soul He fills
And ev’ry pain and sorrow stills:
To God all praise and glory!

2 The angel hosts Thy praises sing
Around Thy throne in heaven.
On earth and sea, O mighty King,
All praise to Thee is given.
Let all who ‘neath Thy shadow dwell
In hymns of praise Thy wisdom tell:
To God all praise and glory!

3 What God hath wrought to show His might,
He evermore sustaineth.
His eye is o’er us day and night,
His mercy never waneth.
Thro’out His kingdom’s wide domain
His works are right, His judgments plain:
To God all praise and glory!

4 I cried to God in my distress,
His mercy heard me calling;
My Savior saw my helplessness
And kept my feet from falling;
For this, Lord, praise and thanks to Thee!
Praise God most high, praise God with me!
To God all praise and glory!

5 Ye, who confess the Savior’s name,
To God give praise and glory!
Ye who the Father’s might proclaim,
To God give praise and glory!
Let idols under foot be trod!
The Lord is God! The Lord is God!
To God all praise and glory!

6 Thus, all my gladsome way along,
I’ll sing aloud Thy praises,
That men may hear the grateful song
My voice unwearied raises;
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart,
Both soul and body, bear your part;
To God all praise and glory!

This month, our theme will be the Almighty. Today’s hymn is based on Psalm 145, written by Englishman Richard Mant (1776-1848), the rector and bishop of many English towns. The tune is from an influential German hymnal of the 16th century.

“They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness” (Psalm 145:6 ESV).

1 God, my king, thy might confessing,
ever will I bless thy name;
day by day thy throne addressing,
still will I thy praise proclaim.

2 Honor great our God befitteth;
who his majesty can reach?
Age to age his works transmitteth;
age to age his pow’r shall teach.

3 They shall talk of all thy glory,
on thy might and greatness dwell,
speak of thy great acts the story,
and thy deeds of wonder tell.

4 Nor shall fail from mem’ry’s treasure
works by love and mercy wrought:
works of love surpassing measure,
works of mercy passing thought.

5 Full of kindness and compassion,
slow to anger, vast in love,
God is good to all creation;
all his works his goodness prove.

6 All thy works, O Lord, shall bless thee,
thee shall all thy saints adore.
King supreme shall they confess thee,
and proclaim thy sovereign pow’r.

Today’s hymn, “Let Thy Blood in Mercy Poured,” comes from the Greek tradition, and maybe if I could type Greek, I could search for the title on Greek pages. But the sources I’ve seen give no date for that version of the hymn, only that is came into English via Glasgow native and Free Church minister John Brownlie (1857-1925). The tune is much older, written by Lutheran cantor at Berlin’s St. Nicholas Church, Johann Crüger (1598-1662).

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1 ESV).

1 Let thy blood in mercy poured,
let thy gracious body broken,
be to me, O gracious Lord,
of thy boundless love the token.

Refrain:
Thou didst give thyself for me,
now I give myself to thee.

2 Thou didst die that I might live;
blessed Lord, thou cam’st to save me;
all that love of God could give
Jesus by his sorrows gave me. [Refrain]

3 By the thorns that crowned thy brow,
by the spear wound and the nailing,
by the pain and death, I now
claim, O Christ, thy love unfailing. [Refrain]

4 Wilt thou own the gift I bring?
All my penitence I give thee;
thou art my exalted King,
of thy matchless love forgive me. [Refrain]

Today’s hymn begins our approach to Easter, which is the last Sunday of the month. “None Other Lamb” was written by the marvelous English poet Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894). She didn’t write it as a hymn but as a poetic response to Revelation 5.

“And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’” (Revelation 5:2 ESV)

1 None other Lamb, none other name,
none other hope in heav’n or earth or sea,
none other hiding place from guilt and shame,
none beside thee!

2 My faith burns low, my hope burns low;
only my heart’s desire cries out in me
by the deep thunder of its want and woe,
cries out to thee.

3 Lord, thou art Life, though I be dead;
love’s fire thou art, however cold I be:
nor heav’n have I, nor place to lay my head,
nor home, but thee.