This sublime quatrain, attributed to Nahum Tate, like the Lord's Prayer,
is suited to all occasions, to all Christian denominations, and to all
places and conditions of men. It has been translated into all civilized
languages, and has been rising to heaven for many generations from
congregations round the globe wherever the faith of Christendom has
built its altars. This doxology is the first stanza of a sixteen line
hymn (possibly longer originally), the rest of which is forgotten.

Nahum Tate was born in Dublin, in 1652, and educated there at Trinity
College. He was appointed poet-laureate by King William III. in 1690,
and it was in conjunction with Dr. Nicholas Brady that he executed his
"New" metrical version of the Psalms. The entire Psalter, with an
appendix of Hymns, was licensed by William and Mary and published in
1703. The _hymns_ in the volume are all by Tate. He died in London, Aug.
12, 1717.

Rev. Nicholas Brady, D.D., was an Irishman, son of an officer in the
royal army, and was born at Bandon, County of Cork, Oct. 28, 1659. He
studied in the Westminster School at Oxford, but afterwards entered
Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated in 1685. William made him
Queen Mary's Chaplain. He died May 20, 1726.

The other nearly contemporary form of doxology is in common use, but
though elevated and devotional in spirit, it cannot be universal, owing
to its credal line being objectionable to non-Trinitarian Protestants:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host,