Saturday, November 23, 2013

Devotion

Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne;
hark, how the heav'nly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless king
through all eternity.

Crown him the virgin's Son,
the God incarnate born,
whose arm those crimson trophies won
which now his brow adorn;
fruit of the mystic rose,
yet of that rose the stem,
the root whence mercy ever flows,
the babe of Bethlehem.

Crown him the Lord of love—
behold his hands and side,
rich wounds, yet visible above,
in beauty glorified.
No angels in the sky
can fully bear that sight,
but downward bend their burning eyes
at mysteries so bright.

Crown him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o'er the grave
and rose victorious in the strife
for those he came to save.
His glories now we sing,
who died and rose on high,
who died, eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.

Crown him the Lord of years,
the potentate of time,
creator of the rolling spheres,
ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For thou hast died for me;
thy praise and glory shall not fail
throughout eternity.

The acolytes at King of Kings, the church I serve, know very well that they should not stand very close to Pastor Paul when he is singing. I love to sing out; it's just that I cannot carry a tune. But, nonetheless, I do capture the verses in the psalms that proclaim, "Sing a joyful NOISE to the Lord." I have been making that joyful noise singing "Crown Him with Many Crowns" since I was a child. I am certain it was aided by the wonderful pipe organs which helped to lead our singing when I was growing up.

These bold words of faith are what gripped my heart as a youth and which remain deeply embedded in my soul today. "Awake my soul and sing, of him who died for thee, and hail him as thy matchless King through all eternity." Matthew Bridges has captured the substance of our faith in these stirring words of praise and thanksgiving.