All Creatures

[Guest]

There is an old English folk song called 'The Ash Grove' which had hymn lyrics added to it at some time and the title is something like 'All Creatures...' or All Things Now Created' or something close to that. I need to find the hymn lyrics. Can you help?

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[steveliu]

Hi John,

There are actually two hymns I know that have been set to this melody. One is called "Let All Things Now Living", which is probably the one you're thinking of. The second is "The Master Hath Come". Both are very lovely.

Let All Things Now Living (Text by Katherine K. Davis)

1.
Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving
To God the Creator triumphantly raise,
Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,
Who guideth us on to the end of our days.
His banners are o'er us,
His light goes before us,
A pillar of fire shining forth in the night,
'Til shadows have vanished and darkness is banished,
as forward we travel from light into light.

2.
His law He enforces: the stars in their courses,
The sun in His orbit, obediently shine;
The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,
The deeps of the ocean proclaim Him divine,
We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing,
With glad adoration a song let us raise,
'Til all things now living unite in thanksgiving
To God in the highest, hosanna and praise.

The Master Hath Come (Text by Sarah Doudney)

1.
The Master hath come, and He calls us to follow
The track of the footprints He leaves on our way;
Far over the mountain and through the deep hollow,
The path leads us on to the mansions of day:
The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him,
Who march 'neath Christ's banner, His own little band;
We love Him and seek Him, we long to be near Him,
And rest in the light of His beautiful land.

2.
The Master hath called us; the road may be dreary
And dangers and sorrows are strewn on the track;
But God's Holy Spirit shall comfort the weary;
We follow the Savior and cannot turn back;
The Master hath called us, though doubt and temptation
May compass our journey, we cheerfully sing:
"Press onward, look upward," through much tribulation;
The children of Zion must follow the King.

3.
The Master hath called us, in life's early morning,
With spirits as fresh as the dew on the sod:
We turn from the world, with its smiles and its scorning,
To cast in our lot with the people of God:
The Master hath called us, His sons and His daughters,
We plead for His blessing and trust in His love;
And through the green pastures, beside the still waters,
He'll lead us at last to His kingdom above.

Hope it helps. God bless!
Steve