Courage and Confidence
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670 Maintain the honour of His word, The glory of His cross.
2 Jesus, my God! I know His name, His name is all my trust; Nor will He put my soul to shame, Nor let my hope be lost.
3 Firm as His throne His promise stands, And He can well secure What I've committed to His hands, Till the decisive hour.
4 Then will He own my worthless name Before His Father's face; And in the New Jerusalem Appoint my soul a place. Isaac Watts, 1709. |
671
1 AM I a soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His name?
2 Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease? While others fought to win the prize, And sail'd through bloody seas?
3 Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend to grace. To help me on to God?
4 Sure I must fight if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord! I'll bear the toll, endure the pain, Supported by Thy word. Isaac Watts, 1721. |
672 The Christian Warrior exhorted to Perseverance
1 SOLDIERS of Christ, arise, And put your armour on, Strong in the strength which God supplies Through His eternal Son:
2 Strong in the Lord of Hosts, And in His mighty power; Who in the strength of Jesus trusts, Is more than conqueror.
3 Stand, then, in His great might, With all His strength endued; But take, to arm you for the fight, The panoply of God.
4 To keep your armour bright, Attend with constant care, Still walking in your Captain's sight, And watching unto prayer.
5 In fellowship alone, To God with faith draw near; Approach His courts, besiege His throne With all the power of prayer:
6 From strength to strength go on, Wrestle, and fight, and pray, Tread all the powers of darkness down, And win the well-fought day. Charles Wesley, 1749. |
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673 "A good Soldier of Jesus Christ."
1 OFT in sorrow, oft in woe, Onward, Christians, onward go; Fight the fight, maintain the strife, Strengthen'd with the bread of life.
2 Let your drooping hearts be glad; March in heavenly armour clad: Fight, nor think the battle long, Soon shall victory tune your song.
3 Let not sorrow dim your eye, Soon shall every tear be dry; Let not fears your course impede, Great your strength if great your need.
4 Onward, then, to glory move, More than conquerors ye shall prove; Though opposed by many a foe, Christian soldiers, onward go. Henry Kirke White, 1806; Fanny Fuller Maitland, 1827
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674 Stand up for Jesus
1 STAND up! Stand up for Jesus! Ye soldiers of the cross! Lift high His royal banner; It must not suffer loss: From victory unto victory His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquish'd, And Christ is Lord indeed.
2 Stand up! Stand up for Jesus! The trumpet-call obey; Forth to the mighty conflict, In this His glorious day; Ye that are men, now serve Him, Against unnumber'd foes; Your courage rise with danger, And strength to strength oppose
3 Stand up! Stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone: The arm of flesh will fail you; Ye dare not trust your own: Put on the gospel armour, And watching unto prayer, Where duty calls, or danger, Be never wanting there.
4 Stand up! Stand up for Jesus! The strife will not be long; This day the noise of battle, The next the victor's song. To Him that overcometh A crown of life shall be; He with the King of Glory Shall reign eternally. George Duffield, 1858 |
675 “Be strong, fear not."
1 NOW let the feeble all be strong, And make Jehovah's arm their song, His shield is spread o'er every saint, And thus supported, who shall faint?
2 What though the hosts of hell engage With mingled cruelty and rage! A faithful God restrains their hands, And chains them down in iron bands.
3 Bound by His word, He will display A strength proportion'd to our day; And, when united trials meet, Will show a path of safe retreat.
4 Thus far we prove that promise good, Which Jesus ratified with blood: Still He is gracious, wise, and just, And still in Him let Israel trust. Philip Doddridge, 1755 |
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676 God is all-sufficient
1 AWAKE our souls, away our fears, Let every trembling thought begone Awake, and run the heavenly race, And put a cheerful courage on.
2 True, 'tis a strait and thorny road, And mortal spirits tire and faint; But they forget the mighty God That feeds the strength of every saint.
3 Thee, mighty God, whose matchless power Is ever new and ever young, And firm endures, while endless years Their everlasting circles run.
4 From Thee, the overflowing spring, Our souls shall drink a fresh supply, While such as trust their native strength, Shall melt away, and droop, and die.
5 Swift as an eagle cuts the air, We'll mount aloft to Thine abode; On wings of love our souls shall fly, Nor tire amidst the heavenly road. Isaac Watts, 1709 |
677
1 WHENCE do our mournful thoughts arise, And where's our courage fled? Have restless sin and raging hell Struck all our comforts dead?
2 Have we forgot the Almighty Name That form'd the earth and sea; And can an all-creating arm Grow weary or decay?
3 Treasures of everlasting might In our Jehovah dwell; He gives the conquest to the weak, And treads their foes to hell.
4 Mere mortal power shall fade and die, And youthful vigour cease; But we that wait upon the Lord Shall feel our strength increase.
5 The saints shall mount on eagles' wings, And taste the promised bliss, Till their unwearied feet arrive Where perfect pleasure is. Isaac Watts, 1709 |
678 The Christian Warfare
1 STAND up, my soul, shake off thy fears, And gird the gospel armour on; March to the gates or endless joy, Where thy great Captain-Saviour's gone.
2 Hell and thy sins resist thy course; But hell and sin are vanquish'd foes: Thy Jesus nail'd them to the cross, And sung the triumph when He rose.
3 What though thine inward lusts rebel? 'Tis but a struggling gasp for life; The weapons of victorious grace Shall slay thy sins, and end the strife.
4 Then let my soul march boldly on, Press forward to the heavenly gate; There peace and joy eternal reign, And glittering robes for conquerors wait.
5 There shall I wear a starry crown, And triumph in almighty grace; While all the armies of the skies Join in my glorious Leader's praise. Isaac Watts, 1709. |
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679 Our victorious Lord
1 JESU'S tremendous name Puts all our foes to flight: Jesus, the meek, the angry Lamb, A Lion is in fight.
2 By all hell's host withstood; We all hell's host o'erthrow; And conquering them, through Jesu's blood We still to conquer go.
3 Our Captain leads us on; He beckons from the skies, And reaches out a starry crown, And bids us take the prize:
4 "Be faithful unto death; Partake My victory; And thou shalt wear this glorious wreath, And thou shalt reign with Me." Charles Wesley, 1749. |
680 More than Conqueror
1 HIS be the "victor's name," Who fought our light alone; Triumphant saints no honour claim; His conquest was His own.
2 He hell in hell laid low; Made sin, He sin o'erthrew: Bow'd to the grave, destroy'd it so, And death, by dying, slew.
3 What though the accuser roar Of ills that we have done; We know them well, and thousands more, Jehovah findeth none.
4 Sin, Satan, Death appear To harass and appal; Yet since the gracious Lord is near, Backward they go, and fall.
5 We meet them face to face, Through Jesus' conquest blest; March in the triumph of His grace, Right onward to our rest.
6 Bless, bless the Conqueror slain; Slain in His victory! Who lived, who died, who lives again, For thee, His church, for thee! Samuel W. Gandy, 1837.
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681 Christ our Strength
1 LET me but hear my Saviour say, Strength shall be equal to thy day! Then I rejoice in deep distress, Leaning on all-sufficient grace.
2 I glory in infirmity, That Christ's own power may rest on me. When I am weak, then am I strong, Grace is my shield, and Christ my song.
3 I can do all things, or can bear All sufferings, if my Lord be there: Sweet pleasures mingle with the pains, While His left hand my head sustains.
4 But if the Lord be once withdrawn, And we attempt the work alone, When new temptations spring and rise, We find how great our weakness is. Isaac Watts, 1700 |
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682 Sufficient Grace
1 KIND are the words that Jesus speaks To cheer the drooping saint; "My grace sufficient is for you, Though nature's powers may faint.
2 "My grace its glories shall display, And make your griefs remove: Tour weakness shall the triumphs tell Of boundless power and love.
3 What though my griefs are not removed, Yet why should I despair? While my kind Saviour's arms support, I can the burden bear.
4 Jesus, my Saviour and my Lord, 'Tis good to trust Thy name; Thy power, Thy faithfulness, and love, Will ever be the same.
5 Weak as I am, yet through Thy grace I all things can perform; And, smiling, triumph in Thy name, Amid the raging storm. John Needham, 1768.
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683 Jesus still the same
1 HOW frail and fallible am I! What weakness marks my changing frame! Yet there is strength and comfort nigh, For Jesus, Thou art still the same.
2 Thy love immortal and divine, No coldness damps, no time destroys; Through countless ages it will shine, Bright source of everlasting joys.
3 On Thy sure mercy I depend In all my trials, wants, and woes; For Thou art an unchanging Friend, Sweet is the peace Thy hand bestows.
4 Hast Thou protected me thus far, To leave me in the dangerous hour? Shall Satan be allow'd to mar Thy work, or to resist Thy power?
5 Oh never wilt Thou leave the soul That flies for refuge to Thy breast! Thy love which once hath made me whole, Shall guide me to eternal rest.
6 Though stars be from their courses hurl'd, Though mighty ruin should descend Wide o'er a desolated world; The love of Jesus knows no end. William Hiley Bathurst, 1831.
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685 Be of good Courage
1 YOUR harps, ye trembling saints, Down from the willows take: Loud to the praise of love divine, Bid every string awake.
2 Though in a foreign land, We are not far from home; And nearer to our house above We every moment come.
3 His grace will to the end Stronger and brighter shine; Nor present things, nor things to come, Shall quench the spark divine.
4 The people of His choice, He will not cast away; Yet do not always here expect On Tabor's mount to stay.
5 When we in darkness walk, Nor feel the heavenly flame; Then is the time to trust our God, And rest upon His name.
6 Soon shall our doubts and fears Subside at His control; His loving-kindness shall break through The midnight of the soul.
7 Wait till the shadows flee; Wait thy appointed hour, Wait till the Bridegroom of thy soul Reveals His sovereign power.
8 Tarry His leisure then, Although He seem to stay, A moment's intercourse with Him Thy grief will overpay.
9 Blest is the man, O God, That stays himself on Thee. Who waits for Thy salvation, Lord, Shall Thy salvation see. Augustus M. Toplady, 1772 |
686 The Christian encouraged
1 GIVE to the winds thy fears; Hope, and he undismay'd; God hears thy sighs, and counts thy tears: God shall lift up thy head.
2 Through waves, and clouds, and storms, He gently clears thy way; Wait Thou His time; so shall the night Soon end in joyous day
3 He everywhere hath sway, And all things serve His might; His every act pure blessing is, His path unsullied light.
4 When He makes bare His arm, What shall His work withstand? When He His people's cause defends, Who, who shall stay His hand?
5 Leave to His sovereign sway To choose and to command; With wonder fill'd thou then shalt own How wise, how strong His hand.
6 Thou comprehend'st Him not; Yet earth and heaven tell, God sits as Sovereign on His throne, He ruleth all things well.
7 Thou seest our weakness, Lord, Our hearts are known to Thee: Oh lift Thou up the sinking hand, Confirm the feeble knee!
8 Let us, in life and death, Thy steadfast truth declare; And publish, with our latest breath, Thy love, and guardian care. Paul Gerhardt, 1659; tr. by John Wesley, 1739, a. |
687 Weakness confessed, but Security enjoyed
1 I THOUGHT that I was strong, Lord, And did not need Thine arm: Though troubles throng'd around me, My heart felt no alarm.
2 I thought I nothing needed, Riches, nor dress, nor sight; And on I walk'd in darkness, And still I thought it light.
3 But Thou hast broke the spell, Lord, And waked me from my dream: The light has burst upon me With bright unerring beam.
4 I know Thy blood has cleansed me, I know that I'm forgiven; And all the roughest pathways Will surely end in heaven.
5 I know that I am Thine, Lord, And none can pluck away The feeblest sheep that ever yet Did make Thine arm its stay Joseph Denham Smith's Coll., 1860. |