Vineyard Evensong Part 14
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. AMEN.
Our next element in the Vineyard Evensong we are going to discuss is the Doxology. In general, the term doxology can be applied to any short hymn of praise. For example, the Gloria Patria, (Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.) is a type of doxology. The term is derived from the Greek doxologia, “praise or glory,” which is a compound of doxa, “glory,” and logos, “a speaking.”
The Doxology that we have included in our Vineyard Evensong is also known as the Common Doxology. It was written in 1674 by Anglican Bishop Thomas Ken and was actually the final verse of two different hymns, “Awake, My Soul, and With the Sun” and “All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night” which were written for the morning and evening worship services at Winchester College.
I want to share the verses of the evening worship hymn with you. I believe that seeing the Common Doxology in the context of the entire hymn adds even more to its impact.
“All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night”
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.
