The Lord Be Thanked For His Gifts – Hymn Lyric
“The Lord Be Thanked For His Gifts” is a hymn that expresses gratitude for the abundant gifts and mercies bestowed upon us by the Lord. It highlights our unworthiness and the Lord’s unmatched love and grace. Through our faith, love, and obedience, we can live a life that honors God and find eternal rest in his presence.
Table of Contents
The Lord Be Thanked For His Gifts
The Lord be thanked for his gifts
and mercies evermore,
That he doth shew unto his Saints,
to him be Lord therefore.
Our tongues cannot so praise the Lord,
as he of right deserves:
Our hearts cannot of him so think,
as he us all preserves.
His benefits they be so great
to us that be but sin:
That at our hands for recompence,
there is no hope to win.
O sinfull flesh that thou shouldst have,
such mercies of the Lord,
Thou dost deserve more worthily
of him to be abhord.
Noght els but sin and wretchednesse
doth rest within our hearts:
And stubbornly against the Lord
we daily play our parts.
The Sun above in firmament,
that is to us a light:
Doth shew it selfe more cleare and pure
than we be in his sight.
The hevens above and all therein
more holy are than we:
They serve the Lord in their estate,
each one in his degree.
They doe not strive for mastership,
nor slack their oaffice set:
But serve the Lord and do his will
hate is to them no let.
Also the earth and all therein,
of God it is in awe:
It doth observe the Formers will,
by skilfull natures law.
The sea and all that is therein
doth bend when God doth beck:
The spirits benenath do tremble all,
and feare his wrathfull check.
But we alas for whom all these
were made them for to rule,
Do not so know or love the Lord,
as doth the Oxe or Mule.
A Law he gave for us to know
what was his holy will:
He would us good, but we would not
avoid the thing is ill.
Nor one of us that seeketh not
the Lord of life to please:
Nor doth the thing thatmight us led
to Christ and quiet ease.
Thus are we all his enemeies,
we can it not denie:
And he againe of his good will
would not that we should die.
Therefore when remedy was none
to brint us unto life,
The Son of God our flesh he took,
to end our mortall strife
And all the law of God the Lord
he did it full obey:
And for our sins upon the Crosse
his bloud our debts did pay.
And that we should not yet forget
what good he to us wrought:
A signe he left our eyes to tell,
that he our bodies brought:
In Bread and Wine here visible,
unto thine eyes and taste,
His mercies great thou maist record,
if that his Spirit thou hast.
As once the corne did live and grow,
ans was cut down with sithe,
And threshed out with many stripes,
out from his husk to drive:
And as the mill with violence,
did teare it out so small:
And made it like to earthly dust,
not sparing it at all.
And as the oven with fire hot
did close it up with heat:
And all this done that I have said,
that it should be our meat.
So was the Lord in his ripe age
cut down by cruell death:
His soule he gave in troments great,
and yeelded up his breath.
Because that he to us might be
an everlasting read:
With much reproach and troubles great
on earth his life he led.
And as the grapes in pleasant time
are pressed very sore:
And plucked down when they be ripe,
and let to grow no more.
Because the juyce that in them is,
as comfortable drink,
We might receive and joyfull be,
when sorrowes make us shrink.
So Christ his bloud out pressed was
with nailes and eke with speare:
The juyce thereof doth save all those
that rightly do him feare.
And as the cornes by unity
into one loafe are knit:
So is the Lord and his whole Church,
though he in heaven sit.
As many grapes make but one wine,
so should we be but one
In faith and love in Christ above,
and unto Christ alone.
Leading a life without all strife,
in quiet rest and peace:
From envy and from malice both,
our hearts and tongues to cease.
Which if we do, then shall we shew
that we his chosen be:
By faith in him to lead a life,
as alwaies willed he.
And that we may so do indeed,
God send us all his grace:
Then after death we shall be sure
with him to have a place.
Meaning of The Lord Be Thanked For His Gifts – Hymn Lyric
The Lord Be Thanked For His Gifts
In this beautiful hymn, the poet expresses gratitude to the Lord for his many gifts and mercies. The Lord’s blessings are abundant and endless, and he continuously shows his love and care for his followers. It is difficult for our tongues to fully praise the Lord as he truly deserves, and our hearts cannot even begin to comprehend the extent of his preservation and provision.
The poet recognizes that we, as sinful beings, do not deserve the mercy and goodness bestowed upon us by the Lord. Our human nature is flawed, and we often go against the will of the Lord. This disobedience and stubbornness make us unworthy, but the Lord’s grace and compassion surpass our shortcomings.
The hymn also points out that even the creation around us the sun, the heavens, the earth, and the sea acknowledge and serve the Lord willingly. They do not strive for power or disobey his commands. They wholeheartedly follow the natural order set by the Lord. In contrast, human beings, the supposed masters of creation, fail to display the same reverence and submission to the Lord.
The poet highlights the undeniable truth that we all, as human beings, have become enemies of the Lord. Our actions, thoughts, and desires often contradict his teachings. However, despite our rebelliousness, the Lord still loves us and desires for us to live. When there seemed to be no solution to bridge the gap between our sinfulness and his holiness, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to earth to redeem us.
Jesus, the embodiment of the Lord’s love and mercy, obeyed the law of God fully and took upon himself the punishment for our sins on the cross. His sacrifice paid the debt we owed and provided us with the opportunity for salvation. To ensure we never forget this incredible act of love, Jesus instituted the sacrament of communion. Through the symbolic representation of bread and wine, we are reminded of his body and blood given for us.
Just as the ripe corn is cut down and threshed to become our sustenance, and the grapes are pressed to provide us with comforting drink, Jesus willingly endured great suffering and death to be our everlasting nourishment. His body was broken, and his blood was shed for us, so that we may receive spiritual sustenance and find joy even amidst sorrow.
Moreover, the hymn emphasizes the unity between Jesus and his Church. Just as many grains of corn become one loaf and many grapes make a single wine, the Lord and his followers are united as one. We are called to live a life of faith, love, peace, and unity in Christ. This unity should encompass all aspects of our lives, including our words and actions. Letting go of envy, malice, and strife, we should strive to live in harmony with one another.
By embracing this unity and leading a life guided by faith, love, and obedience to Christ, we demonstrate that we are the chosen ones of God. Through God’s grace, we can live in accordance with his will and find true peace and rest. This hymn reminds us to seek God’s grace and to live a life that pleases him. When we do so, we can have the assurance that, after death, we will dwell with him forever.
In conclusion, “The Lord Be Thanked For His Gifts” is a hymn that expresses gratitude for the abundant gifts and mercies bestowed upon us by the Lord. It highlights our unworthiness and the Lord’s unmatched love and grace. It reminds us of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and the unity we share with him and his Church. Through our faith, love, and obedience, we can live a life that honors God and find eternal rest in his presence. Let us, therefore, always be thankful for the Lord’s gifts and strive to live in accordance with his will.
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