The story behind the song – The doxology
This hymn was written in 1674 by Thomas Ken. Thomas Ken was part of the Church of England. The Church of England is very broad in its theology but there are a few things that set it apart. They believed that the Bible contains the core of all Christian faith and thought. They were of great importance for worship but made use of the Book of Common Prayer. This was used by John Wesley who said regarding the Book of Common Prayer: “I think there is no liturgy in the world, whether in ancient or modern language , that breathes a piety more solid, biblical and rational than the Common Prayer of the Church of England.”
I have no doubt that these men were saved, they were just educated and trained in a system of worship that differs greatly from ours. As can be evidenced by the doctrine in their hymns, both writers had an obvious knowledge of and intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus.
When these lines were written, the Church of England believed that only the Scriptures should be sung. They put a special emphasis on the Psalms and some even thought it sinful and even bordering on blasphemy to write new lyrics for church songs or even sing a hymn. When Thomas Ken wrote the Doxology, he originally had ten verses and published them in his Manual of Prayers for Winchester College Students. Probably to satisfy the Church of England, he included strict instructions that students use his Manual of Prayers only for private devotions in his room and not for singing hymns.
The predominant doctrine of the Doxology is the Doctrine of the Trinity which is clearly seen in the last line “Praise be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”.
“Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him on high, heavenly host;
Praised be the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Let’s look at these lines and remember some passage of scripture that Thomas Ken may have had in mind when he wrote these words. From the line “Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow. Two verses immediately come to mind. John 3:27 “John answered and said, A man cannot receive anything except it be given him from heaven,” and James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, no turning shadow.” Thomas Ken had a very personal walk and was a very devoted student of God’s Word. , it is quite possible that these verses led to the line Praise be to God, from whom all blessings flow.
As we look at the next line, Praise him, all you creatures here below, Psalm 150 comes to mind. The last 5 psalms, psalm 146 – 150 are known as the Hallelujah psalms, the doxology of the Hebrew hymnal. John Phillips calls Psalm 150 “the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ of the Hebrew hymnal.” All psalms begin and end with the phrase “Praise the Lord.” Psalms 150 verses 2, 3, 4, and 5 all begin with the phrase “Praise Him.” Verse 6 is what comes to mind when I think of the second line of the doxology: “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
The third line, Praise Him, all creatures here below, brings to mind Psalm 148. Verse 7 declares, “Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons and all deeps:” Verses 8 and 9 include nature in praise , but verse 10 includes “The beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds.
The last line of the doxology, “Praise be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” speaks of the Trinity, the tripersonal existence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Doctrine of the Trinity is a truth of Revelation that is revealed in Scripture. The Doctrine of the Trinity does not imply tritheism, although there are three separate and distinct persons of the head of God, there is only one essence. The Doctrine of the Trinity can be seen in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, Genesis. Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, Let us make man in OUR image. The word for God is the Hebrew word Elohiym and is plural in form. Now this does not imply that there is more than one God, but rather establishes proclaim the Doctrine of the Trinity.
The clearest image of the Trinity is seen in the baptism of Jesus. The three persons of the Deity are seen. You see Jesus the Son when he is baptized, you see the Spirit of God descending like a dove and you hear the voice of the Father declaring: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and THESE THREE ARE ONE.
After a close examination of the most well-known stanza of the beloved hymn we call the Doxology, there is only one conclusion you can come to: Thomas Ken had a personal walk with the Lord Jesus and accepted, yes, promoted the Doctrine of the Trinity.