1. Jesus shall reign where'er the sun Does His successive journeys run; His kingdom spread from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more. 2. To Him shall endless prayer be made, And endless praises crown His head; His name like sweet perfume shall rise With ev'ry morning sacrifice. 3. People and realms of ev'ry tongue Dwell on His love with sweetest song; And infant voices shall proclaim Their early blessings on His name. 4. Let ev'ry creature rise and bring His grateful honors to our King; Angels descend with songs again, And earth repeat the loud "Amen!"
Lyrics:
Isaac Watts
Music: John C. Hatton
Tune: DUKE STREET
Meter: L.M.
Isaac Watts, 1674–1748
When this hymn was written in 1719, the evangelical missionary movement that we know in our time had scarcely begun. In 1779 William Carey was one of the first to try to persuade Christians to carry the gospel message to heathen countries of the world. Isaac Watts was certainly quite prophetic when he paraphrased this text from Psalm 72. It is still considered one of the finest missionary hymns ever written and has been sung in countless native tongues. In the South Sea Islands in 1862, 5,000 primitive people sang this hymn as the king abolished their native laws and established a Christian constitution.