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 (601 - 700 of 1934)
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Hymns for Christian Devotion #369

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Hymns for Christian Devotion #369

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Hymns for Christian Melody #437

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Hymns for Church and Home #334

Hymns for Conference Meetings and Private Devotions #d3

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Hymns for Praise and Service #121

Hymns for Schools and Families #d19

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Hymns for Social Meetings #63

Hymns for Social Worship, Compiled for the Use of Canadian Baptist Churches #d11

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Hymns for Social Worship #68

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Hymns for Social Worship #259

Hymns for Social Worship. 6th ed. #d10

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth and Children #380

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth, and Children #380

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Hymns for the Camp. (3rd ed. rev. and enl.) #91

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Hymns for the Church #283

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Hymns for the Church of Christ (3rd thousand) #744

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Hymns for the Church of Christ. (6th thousand) #744

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Hymns for the Family of God #411

Hymns for the Hospital Chapel, Worcester #d8

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Hymns for the Living Age #314

Text

Hymns for the Living Church #510

Hymns for the People for Services of Song in Christian Work #d8

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Hymns for the Sanctuary #469

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Hymns for the Sanctuary and Social Worship #751

Hymns for the Use of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Impr. ed. #d17

Hymns for the Use of the Brethren in Christ #d12

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Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. ed. #734

Hymns for the Vestry and the Fireside #d11

Hymns for Use in Divine Worship ... Seventh-Day Adventists #d33

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Hymns for Worship #58

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Hymns New and Old, No. 2 #209

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Hymns New and Old, Revised #150

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Hymns New and Old, Revised #194

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Hymns New and Old #189

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Hymns of Blessing for the Living Church #324

Hymns of Calvary, a Choice Collection of Old and New Century Hymns and Songs #d13

TextPage Scan

Hymns of Faith #454

Hymns of Faith and Life #419

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Hymns of Faith and Praise #221

Hymns of Full and Free Salvation #d13

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Hymns of Glory No. 2 #267

Hymns of Grace and Glory #d9

Hymns of Grace #d19

Hymns of Heavenly Harmony #240

Hymns of Heavenly Harmony #265

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Hymns of His Grace #144b

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Hymns of His Grace #149b

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Hymns of Praise and Patriotism #108

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Hymns of Praise Number Two #249

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Hymns of Praise Numbers One and Two Combined #229

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Hymns of Praise with Tunes #40

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Hymns of Praise #229

Hymns of Salvation #d6

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Hymns of the "Jubilee Harp" #a161

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Hymns of the Advent #333

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Hymns of the Ages #339

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Hymns of the Ages #339

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Hymns of the Centuries (Chapel Edition) #221

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Hymns of the Centuries #213

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Hymns of the Christian Life #191

Hymns of the Christian Life #367

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Hymns of the Christian Life #335

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Hymns of the Christian Life. No. 3 #72

Hymns of the Christian Life. Rev. ed. #d18

Hymns of the Christian Life. Rev. ed. #367

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Hymns of the Church Militant #417

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Hymns of the Church Universal #320

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Hymns of the Church #346

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Hymns of the Faith with Psalms #313

Hymns of the Faith #52

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Hymns of the Faith #410

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Hymns of the Heart #172a

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #258

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #258

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #292

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Hymns of the Kingdom #80

Hymns of the Millennial Dawn #ad13

Hymns of the Millennial Dawn, with Music #d13

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Hymns of the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ #213

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Hymns of the United Church #198

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Hymns of the United Church #198

Hymns of Victory #169

Hymns of Victory #242

Hymns of Worship and Praise #d9

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Hymns of Worship and Service #364

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Hymns of Worship and Service (15th ed.) #364

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Hymns of Worship and Service (Chapel Ed., 4th ed.) #294

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Hymns of Worship and Service #364

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Hymns of Worship and Service #294

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Hymns of Worship and Service. (Chapel ed.) #294

Hymns of Worship and Songs of the Gospel #d13

Hymns of Zion #d10

Hymns on Select Passages of Scripture with Others Usually Sung at Camp-Meetings #ad5

Hymns on Select Passages of Scripture with Others Usually Sung at Camp-Meetings #d5

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Hymns selected from various authors #297

Pages

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