O Worship the Lord in The Beauty of Holiness is a composition by John Samuel Bewley Monsell.
Monsell was born in 1811 in St. Columb’s, Londonderry. He was an Irish clergyman and poet. was educated at Trinity College in Dublin and served as a chaplain and rector of several churches in Ireland after his ordination in 1835. Transferred to England in 1853, he became rector of Egham in Surrey and was rector of St. Nicholas Church in Guilford from 1870 until his death (caused by a construction accident at his church). A prolific poet, Monsell published his verse in eleven volumes. His three hundred hymns, many celebrating the seasons of the church year, were issued in collections such as Hymns and Miscellaneous Poems (1837), Spiritual Songs (1857), Hymns of Love and Praise (1863), and The Parish Hymnal (1873).
He experienced some personal tragedies in his life. He lost his eldest son Thomas in 1855. Thomas was only 18 and died on the way to the famous Crimean War. His eldest daughter Elizabeth died at the age of 28 in Torquay. Monsell passed away in 1875 from an infected wound caused by a fall from a boulder while inspecting the rebuilding of St Nicholas’ Church, Guilford, Ireland.
This hymn was first published in Monsell’s Hymns of Love and Praise for the Church.
It is based on Psalm 96 which states in verse 8, O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; fear before him, all earth.
This song is a call for all of us to worship the Lord in the beauty of his holiness. His holiness is expressed or seen in nature. When we see nature we see his signature and his handiwork.
We bow before him because we know that we are descended from him. He is the one who created us. Worship is an acknowledgment of the fact that we are His creation.
All of us are called upon to proclaim his holiness and glory to all the world. Let the world know that we believe in him.
References
www.christianmusicandhymns.com