Holy Fortitude

Representative Text

1 Am I a soldier of the cross,
a foll'wer 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 flow'ry beds of ease,
while others fought to win the prize,
and sailed thro' 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 toil, endure the pain,
supported by Thy word.

5 The saints in all this glorious war
shall conquer, though they die;
they see the triumph from afar
by faith's discerning eye.

6 When that illustrious day shall rise,
and all Thine armies shine
in robes of vict'ry thro' the skies,
the glory shall be Thine.

Source: Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #366

Author: Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor. In 1712, he accepted an invitation to visit Sir Thomas Abney, at his residence of Abney Park, and at Sir Thomas' pressing request, made it his home for the remainder of his life. It was a residence most favourable for his health, and for the prosecution of his literary… Go to person page >

Notes

Am I a soldier of the Cross? I. Watts. [Holy Fortitude.] Appended to his Sermons, published in 1721-24, in 3 vols., vol. iii., and intended to accompany a sermon on 1 Cor. xvi. 13. It is in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "Holy Fortitude." In Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book, No. 671, st. v. and vi. are omitted, but the rest are unaltered. Original full text in all editions of Watts's Works. In the New Congregational Hymn Book, No. 623, it is given in an abbreviated and slightly altered form as — "Are we the soldiers of the Cross?" This is also found in Snepp's Songs of Grace & Glory, 1872, and other collections. It dates as early as the Leeds Hymn Book, 1853. The American use of this hymn is extensive.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
================
Am I a soldier of the Cross? p. 55, ii. In some annotations of this hymn we have found it stated that it is a portion of "Do I believe what Jesus saith?" that the hymn in its full form appeared in Watts's Hymns & Sacred Songs, 1709; and that the portion beginning "Am I a soldier of the Cross?" subsequently appeared in his Sermons, 1721-24. The facts are (1) both hymns appeared in the Sermons, &c, 1721-24, “Do I believe, &c," for Ser. 30, and "Am I a soldier, &c." for Ser. 31; and (2) the two were united as one hymn, and included in the Hymns and Sacred Songs, Bk. i., No. 37, Pt. ii. sometime in the present century. We find it in T. Nelson's edition of Watts, 1844, and others, but in no edition before 1800.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

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Instances

Instances (1701 - 1800 of 1936)

The Sabbath Hymn Book. Baptist ed. #d31

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The Sabbath School Hymn and Tune Book #162

The Sabbath School Hymn Book #d12

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The Sabbath School Minstrel #27

The Sacred Harp #57

The Sacred Harp #73b

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The Sacred Harp #57

The Sacred Harp #309

The Sacred Harp #325

The Sacred Harp #513

The Sacred Harp. New ed. #d4

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The Sacred Hymnal #103

The Sacred Lute #d8

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The Sacred Lyre #288

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The Saint's Harp #106

The Saints' Harp #d46

The Saints' Hymnal #d12

The Saints' Hymnal #d15

The Salvation Soldier's Song Book #d51

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The Sanctuary Hymnal, published by Order of the General Conference of the United Brethren in Christ #399

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The Seed Sower #170

The Selah Song Book (Das Sela Gesangbuch) #d31

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The Selah Song Book (Das Sela Gesangbuch) (2nd ed) #328a

The Selah Song Book. Word ed. #d17

The Select Hymn and Song Book #d8

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The Service Hymnal #378

The Service of Song for Baptist Churches #d24

The Service of Praise #d5

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The Service of Praise #15

The Service of Song for Baptist Churches #d18

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The Service Song Book #7

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The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book #599

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The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book #1144

The Shining Way #d5

The Shining Way No. 2 #d4

The Signal Triumph #d6

The Silver Spray #d6

The Silver Spray #d6

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The Silver Trumpet #155

The Singer's Choice #d11

The Singing Pilgrim #d6

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The Social and Sabbath School Hymn-Book. (5th ed.) #149

The Social Harp #d12

The Social Harp. Rev. #d15

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The Social Psalmist #149

The Soldier's Hymn Book #d5

The Soldier's Hymn Book #d4

The Soldier's Hymn Book. 2nd ed. #d5

The Soldier's Pocket Book #d2

The Song Book of the Salvation Army #d33

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The Song Book of the Salvation Army #678

The Song Harvest #d7

The Song Service, a Manual of Choice and Favorite Hymns #d5

The Song Service, No.1 #d6

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The Song Victor for the Sunday School and Public School Use #65a

The Song Wreath #d2

The Soul Winner. Rev. #d6

The Soul Winner's Hallelujah Songs #d1

The South Western Psalmist #d8

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The Southern Harmony, and Musical Companion (New ed. thoroughly rev. and much enl.) #10b

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The Southern Harmony, and Musical Companion (New ed. thoroughly rev. and much enl.) #45

The Southern Harmony, and Musical Companion. New ed. #d4

The Southern Psalmist #d21

The Southern Psalmist. New ed. #d24

The Southern Zion's Songster #d4

The Spiritual Songster. lst ed. #d2

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The Springfield Collection of Hymns for Sacred Worship #313

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The Standard Church Hymnal #273

The Star of the East #d9

The Sunday School Banner #d7

The Sunday School Hymnal #d14

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The Sunday School Hymnal #149

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The Sunday School Hymnal #149

The Supplement to "The Century Gospel Songs" #d8

The Tabernacle Chorus #d5

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The Tabernacle Chorus (Trinity ed.) #6

The Temperance Song Banner #d4

The Temple Harp #d9

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The Tribute of Praise and Methodist Protestant Hymn Book #284

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The Tribute of Praise #284

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The Tribute of Praise #284

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The Union Harp #33

The Union Harp and Revival Chorister. Rev ed. #d17

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The United Methodist Hymnal #511

Text

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #22

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #23

The Vestry Harp #d7

The Vestry Hymn and Tune Book #d14

The Vestry Hymn Book #d13

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The Vestry Singing Book #133a

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The Virginia Selection of Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #223

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The Voice of Joy #143a

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The Voice of Praise No. 3 #42

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The Voice of Praise #643

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The Voice of Praise #41

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The Voice of Praise #131

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The Voice of Thanksgiving No. 3 #216

Pages

Exclude 1874 pre-1979 instances
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