Running the Christian Race

Representative Text

1 Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve,
And press with vigor on;
A heavenly race demands thy zeal,
And an immortal crown.

2 A cloud of witnesses around
Hold thee in full survey;
Forget the steps already trod,
And onward urge thy way.

3 'Tis God's all-animating voice
That calls thee from on high;
'Tis His own hand presents the prize
To thine aspiring eye.

4 That prize, with peerless glories bright,
Which shall new lustre boast
When victors' wreaths and monarchs' gems
Shall blend in common dust.

5 Blest Savior, introduced by Thee,
Have I my race begun;
And crowned with victory at Thy feet
I'll lay my honors down.

Source: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #230

Author: Philip Doddridge

Philip Doddridge (b. London, England, 1702; d. Lisbon, Portugal, 1751) belonged to the Non-conformist Church (not associated with the Church of England). Its members were frequently the focus of discrimination. Offered an education by a rich patron to prepare him for ordination in the Church of England, Doddridge chose instead to remain in the Non-conformist Church. For twenty years he pastored a poor parish in Northampton, where he opened an academy for training Non-conformist ministers and taught most of the subjects himself. Doddridge suffered from tuberculosis, and when Lady Huntington, one of his patrons, offered to finance a trip to Lisbon for his health, he is reputed to have said, "I can as well go to heaven from Lisbon as from Nort… Go to person page >

Notes

Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve. P. Doddridge. [Confirmation.] This hymn is not given in the "D. MSS." It was first published by J. Orton in his edition of Doddridge's Hymns, &c, 1755, No. 296, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "Pressing on in the Christian Race." It was repeated in all subsequent editions of the Hymns, and also in Doddridge's Scripture Hymns, edited by J. Doddridge Humphreys, 1839. One of the earliest collections in which it is found is Ash and Evans's Bristol Collection, 1769, No. 281, with the omission of st. iv. ”That prize," &c. From that date it came into general use, sometimes in 4 stanzas, and again in 5 stanzas until it became widely known both in Great Britain and America. In modern collections it is held in greater favour by those of the Church of England than those of Nonconformists. Full original text in the New Congregational Hymn Book, No. 617, and the 4 stanza form unaltered, in Hymnal Companion, No. 452. In the latter collection the editor suggests that in Confirmation it be sung after the benedictory prayer, “Defend, O Lord, this Thy servant," &c. This 4 stanza arrangement has been rendered into Latin:—"Sursum, mens mea! Strenué," by the Rev. R. Bingham, and given in his Hymnologia Christina Latina, 1871, pp. 101-103. A slightly altered form of the hymn, as “Awake, our souls, awake from sloth" is given in a few hymnals, including Walker's Cheltenham Collection, 1855 and 1881.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

CHRISTMAS (Handel)

The tune is based on the the beginning of the soprano aria "Non vi piacque ingiusti dei" from the opera "Siroe"

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (601 - 700 of 1047)
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Songs of Faith #159

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Songs of Faith, Hope, and Love #15a

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Songs of Grace and Glory #152(4)

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Songs of Hope #233

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Songs of Joy and Gladness #251

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Songs of Joy and Gladness with Supplement #251

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Songs of Joy and Gladness with Supplement #302

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Songs of Love and Praise #207

Songs of Praise and Devotion #d7

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Songs of Praise with Tunes #320

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Songs of Praise #180

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Songs of Redeeming Love No. 2 #156

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Songs of Redemption #72

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Songs of Refreshing No. 2 #69

Songs of Refreshing Nos. 1 and 2 Combined. Rev. #d14

Songs of Salvation. Work songs #d14

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Songs of the Assembly #49

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Songs of the Christian Life #342

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Songs of the Church #400

Songs of the Free, and Hymns of Christian Freedom #d7

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Songs of the Kingdom #212

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Songs of the Morning #54

Songs of the Soul #d9

Songs of the Soul #d17

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Songs of the Soul No. 2 #33

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Songs of Victory #153

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Songs of Work and Worship #185

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Songs of Worship #199

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Songs of Zion Enlarged #170

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Songs of Zion #106

Songs We Love #5

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Sowing and Reaping #15

Spiritual Songs and Hymns for Pilgrims. New Church ed. #d19

Spiritual Songs and Hymns, for Use in All Gospel Services #d35

Standard Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #d22

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Standard Hymns and Spiritual Songs #142

Student Volunteer Hymnal #d5

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Student Volunteer Hymnal #5

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Student Volunteer Hymnal #5

Sunbeams Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 Combined #d6

Sunday School Hymn Book #d32

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Sunday School Hymnal #66

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Sunday School Hymns No. 2 #184

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Sunday School Hymns No. 2 (Canadian ed.) #184

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Sunday School Voices, No.2 #252

Supplement to Watts #d34

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Sursum Corda #555

Tabernacle Revivalist #d13

Temple Chimes #d23

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Temple Melodies #183

Templi Carmina #d16

The A. M. E. Zion Hymnal #399

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The Abingdon Hymnal #93

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The Academic Hymnal #75

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The Academic Hymnal #305

The Advent Christian Hymnal #d70

The Advent Christian Hymnal #d71

The Advent Christian Hymnal #d34

The Advent Christian Hymnal. Rev. #d27

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The African Methodist Episcopal Hymn and Tune Book #330

The American Hymn and Tune Book #d51

The American Hymnal #d39

The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #d27

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The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #285

The American Hymnal for English Speaking People Everywhere #d20

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The American Sunday-School Hymn-Book #246

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The Army and Navy Hymnal #134

The Army and Navy Prayer Book #d7

The Army Hymn Book #d7

The Army Hymn Book. 2nd ed. #d11

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The Assembly Hymn and Song Collection #22

The Assembly Hymnal #d7

The Assembly Praise Book #d9

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The Baptist Harp #273

The Baptist Hymn and Praise Book #d33

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The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book for Public Worship #711

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The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book, for Public Worship #200.711

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The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book #564

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The Baptist Hymn Book #711

The Baptist Hymn Book, in Two Parts #d40

The Baptist Hymn Book, in Two Parts #d41

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The Baptist Hymn Book #687

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The Baptist Hymn Book #344

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The Baptist Hymnal, for Use in the Church and Home #416

The Baptist Hymnal #416

The Baptist Hymnal. Shaped notes ed. #d48

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The Baptist Praise Book #955

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The Baptist Psalmody #644

The Baptist Sabbath School Hymn Book #d45

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The Baptist Standard Hymnal #702

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The Beacon Hymnal #90

The Beacon Song and Service book #91

The Best Loved Hymns and Prayers of the American People #64b

The Book of Common Praise #d44

The Book of Common Praise #257

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The Book of Common Praise #273

The Book of Hymns #d44

The Book of Praise #d48

The Book of Worship #d37

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The Book of Worship #341

Pages

Exclude 1034 pre-1979 instances
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