Doxology Doctrine: Praise Him All Creatures Here Below

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Amen.

Introduction

In the second line of the Doxology, the singer transitions from a declaration of God’s character and resources to one of universal summons. When God’s people sing, “Praise Him all creatures here below,” they are actively praising God and summoning all other creatures to join in and praise him too. This call to worship is theologically rich because it recognizes a truth that is worthy of worship: the Creator is distinct from the creature.

Creator Creature Distinction

The phrase “all creatures” specifies those who ought to praise God. This phrase also sets the “Him” in line two of the Doxology apart as Uncreated, something worthy of praise in and of itself. In his compendium of theology and philosophy, Dr. John Frame explains the genesis of a Christian, biblical worldview as follows:

The first element of this worldview is the Creator-creature distinction itself. In the biblical metaphysic, there are two levels of reality: that of the Creator and that of the creature . . . These may never be confused . . . the Lord is always Lord, and the creatures are always his servants[1].

Not only does this biblically derived distinction rule out any plausibility of truth within the false ideologies of pantheism and panentheism, but it also sets the trajectory for the singer’s worship away from self and to the Uncreated One. When the Creator-creature distinction is present in the mind of the corporate worshiper, the platform for true worship exists; the worshiper may praise God for his incommunicable attributes, his power to create, his creativity within his production, his ability to sustain his creation, his grace to create “a wretch like me,” the quality of his creation, and the redemption of his creation. When the man or woman of God sings, “Praise Him all creatures,” he is confessing that, “I am a creature made by the Creator!” And therefore, according to John Frame, “I am his servant!”

Conclusion

Psalm 148 calls the heavens, angels, sun, moon, stars, waters above, sea creatures below, fire, hail, snow, mist, stormy wind, mountains, hills, trees, beasts, livestock, creeping things, birds, kings, princes, rulers, and all people to “praise the name of the Lord” (v. 13). Therefore, may God’s people find themselves in obedience to this command when they sing the second line of the Doxology! Join in the creation chorus to proclaim the nature of God (Creator), to declare the purpose of the worshiper (to serve the Creator), and to summon all those below to join in humbly acknowledging the divine design of the Creator-creature distinction.

[1] John Frame, A History of Western Philosophy and Theology (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2015).