Henry Law
Henry Law (1797 - 1884). English Anglican clergyman, author, and evangelical born in Kelshall, Hertfordshire. Educated at Eton and St. John’s College, Cambridge, where he earned a B.A. in 1820 and an M.A. in 1823, he was ordained in 1821. Serving as curate in various parishes, he became rector of Kelshall in 1833 and later dean of Gloucester Cathedral from 1862 until his retirement. Law authored over 20 devotional books, including The Gospel in Genesis (1855) and Family Prayers, noted for their vivid imagery and Christ-centered focus. A staunch evangelical, he preached regularly at Holy Trinity, Tunbridge Wells, and supported the Church Missionary Society, influencing thousands through clear gospel expositions. Married to Mary Pakenham in 1824, they had 13 children, several entering ministry. His writings, blending doctrinal depth with warmth, remain in print, shaping Anglican and Reformed spirituality globally.
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Henry Law emphasizes the eternal nature of praise, urging believers to continually offer praise to the Lord with all their being and for His mighty acts, greatness, and redemption. He highlights the importance of praising God in His sanctuary and throughout the universe, exhorting all to join in adoring strains. Law also reflects on the use of musical instruments in praising God in the past and encourages believers to offer spiritual service with all their faculties. The sermon concludes with a powerful call for everything that has breath to praise the Lord, acknowledging that all efforts fall short of the praise due to God.
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Psalm 150
The Psalms thus close. But praise shall never end. Let praise be the constant ecstasy of all our powers and all our time. Eternity will prolong, but never end the strain. 1. "Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the firmament of His power." Exhortation still stirs up praise. Worthy, indeed, is the Lord to be praised throughout the universe. Let His praise be heard in the public service of His house, where His saints assemble to magnify His name. Let it swell in the highest heavens, where angelic hosts and all the redeemed lift up their joyful voices in adoring strains. 2. "Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness." Mighty indeed are God's acts in creation, providence, and grace. Creation is a volume replete with wonders. They surpass all power to enumerate. They exceed all admiration. Providence is wonderful in showing His mind in constant operation. But redemption causes love to overflow in wonder. It excites our loudest shouts. To estimate its exceeding preciousness the eternal kingdom must be reached. The innumerable multitude must be joined before we can fully realize that all sin is washed away, and every transgression pardoned, and the law's curse removed, and righteousness divine bestowed as the resplendent robe of heaven. Then will be the joy of knowing that mercy has brought us to the journey's end; that endless rest is reached and endless hallelujahs placed upon the lips. Then shall eternal bliss flow on; then shall the realm of glory shout endlessly the Redeemer's praise. 3-5. "Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the psaltery and harp. Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise Him on the loud cymbals; praise Him on the high-sounding cymbals." In the days of Levitical type and shadow, musical instruments of every form and power contributed to swell the melody. Now, when spiritual service takes its enlightening place, let every rational faculty make our hallelujahs sweet and loud. Are may sing and spirituality still live. 6. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." Fitting is the grand conclusion of this book of hymns and odes and spiritual songs. Let us obey the just command. Every breath is God's free gift. Let every breath fly upward on the wings of adoration. But all our efforts can scarcely reach the outlines of due praise. May the Lord inspire us more and more! May we thus prepare to praise Him better when we cast our crowns before His throne. Praise the Lord! Amen and Amen.
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Henry Law (1797 - 1884). English Anglican clergyman, author, and evangelical born in Kelshall, Hertfordshire. Educated at Eton and St. John’s College, Cambridge, where he earned a B.A. in 1820 and an M.A. in 1823, he was ordained in 1821. Serving as curate in various parishes, he became rector of Kelshall in 1833 and later dean of Gloucester Cathedral from 1862 until his retirement. Law authored over 20 devotional books, including The Gospel in Genesis (1855) and Family Prayers, noted for their vivid imagery and Christ-centered focus. A staunch evangelical, he preached regularly at Holy Trinity, Tunbridge Wells, and supported the Church Missionary Society, influencing thousands through clear gospel expositions. Married to Mary Pakenham in 1824, they had 13 children, several entering ministry. His writings, blending doctrinal depth with warmth, remain in print, shaping Anglican and Reformed spirituality globally.