Praise To the God of Harvest

Representative Text

1 The God of harvest praise;
in loud thanksgivings raise
hand, heart, and voice;
the valleys laugh and sing,
forests and mountains ring,
the plains their tribute bring,
the streams rejoice.

2 O bless his holy name,
and joyful thanks proclaim
through all the earth;
be grateful and receive
God's blessing; and believe;
his love does not deceive.
Now share your mirth!

3 The God of harvest praise;
hands, hearts, and voices raise
with sweet accord;
from field to store the grain,
bearing your sheaves again,
and in your glad refrain
now bless the Lord.


Source: Moravian Book of Worship #452

Author: James Montgomery

James Montgomery (b. Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, 1771; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1854), the son of Moravian parents who died on a West Indies mission field while he was in boarding school, Montgomery inherited a strong religious bent, a passion for missions, and an independent mind. He was editor of the Sheffield Iris (1796-1827), a newspaper that sometimes espoused radical causes. Montgomery was imprisoned briefly when he printed a song that celebrated the fall of the Bastille and again when he described a riot in Sheffield that reflected unfavorably on a military commander. He also protested against slavery, the lot of boy chimney sweeps, and lotteries. Associated with Christians of various persuasions, Montgomery supported missio… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: The God of harvest praise
Title: Praise To the God of Harvest
Author: James Montgomery
Meter: 6.6.4.6.6.6.4
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

The God of harvest praise. J. Montgomery. [Harvest.] The original manuscript of this hymn is dated 1840. From Holland's Memoirs of Montgomery we find that in August, 1840, the poet.visited the widow of E. C. Brackenbury of Raithby Hall, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, and that on his return journey he wrote this hymn. On reaching Sheffield he gave the stanzas to Holland, saying, "You may do what you like with them." Holland adds, "The hint was well understood, and the author's townsmen had the pleasure of reading his beautiful harvest hymn the next day in the Sheffield Mercury" (Memoirs, vol. v. p. 407). It was also printed in the Evangelical Magazine of Nov. 1840, as "A Harvest Hymn for 1840," and dated "The Mount, Sheffield, Sept. 1840." Montgomery included it in his Original Hymns, 1853, No, 279, in 7 stanzas of 7 lines. It is a spirited hymn, and in an abbreviated form would be of some value.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

ITALIAN HYMN

Felice de Giardini (b. Turin, Italy, 1716; d. Moscow, Russia, 1796) composed ITALIAN HYMN in three parts for this text at the request of Selina Shirley, the famous evangelically minded Countess of Huntingdon. Giardini was living in London at the time and contributed this tune and three others to Mar…

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PERKINS (E. A. Perkins)


AMERICA (Thesaurus Musicus)


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #11017
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Instances

Instances (1 - 5 of 5)

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #575

Text

Moravian Book of Worship #452

Page Scan

The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #239

The Baptist Hymnal #691

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #11017

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