The Son of God goes forth to war

Representative Text

1 The Son of God goes forth to war,
a kingly crown to gain;
His blood-red banner streams afar!
Who follows in his train?
Who best can drink His cup of woe,
triumphant over pain,
who patient bears his cross below,
he follows in His train.

2 The martyr first, whose eagle eye
could pierce beyond the grave;
who saw his Master in the sky
and called on Him to save.
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue
in midst of mortal pain,
he prayed for them that did the wrong!
Who follows in His train?

3 A glorious band, the chosen few
on whom the Spirit came,
twelve valiant saints, their hope they knew,
and mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant's brandished steel,
the lion's gory mane;
they bowed their necks the death to feel:
who follows in their train?

4 A noble army, men and boys,
the matron and the maid,
around the Savior's throne rejoice
in robes of light arrayed.
They climbed the steep ascent of heav'n
through peril, toil and pain;
O God, to us may grace be giv'n
to follow in their train.

Source: Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #429

Author: Reginald Heber

Reginald Heber was born in 1783 into a wealthy, educated family. He was a bright youth, translating a Latin classic into English verse by the time he was seven, entering Oxford at 17, and winning two awards for his poetry during his time there. After his graduation he became rector of his father's church in the village of Hodnet near Shrewsbury in the west of England where he remained for 16 years. He was appointed Bishop of Calcutta in 1823 and worked tirelessly for three years until the weather and travel took its toll on his health and he died of a stroke. Most of his 57 hymns, which include "Holy, Holy, Holy," are still in use today. -- Greg Scheer, 1995… Go to person page >

Notes

The Son of God goes forth to war. Bishop R. Heber. [St. Stephen.] Published in his posthumous Hymns, &c. 1827, p. 17, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. It is usually given in an unaltered form as in the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Church Hymns, 1871, and is often accompanied by a fine musical setting as in the same hymnal.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

ALL SAINTS NEW (Cutler)

Henry Stephen Cutler (b. Boston, MA, 1824; d. Boston, 1902) composed ALL SAINTS NEW in 1872 for Reginald Heber's (PHH 249) text "The Son of God Goes Forth to War," and the two were published together in Hymnal with Tunes, Old and New (1872). That text refers to "the glorious band" of God's people, h…

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (201 - 300 of 833)

Hymnal for Colleges and Schools #295

Hymnal for Colleges and Schools. 3rd ed. #d305

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Hymnal for Soldiers and Sailors #31

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Hymnal for the Sunday School #157

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Hymnal of the Baltimore Conference on Christian Fundamentals #d54

Hymnal of the Evangelical Church. Word ed. #d732

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Hymnal of the First General Missionary Convention of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Cleveland, Ohio, October 21 to 24, 1902. #16

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Hymnal with Music for Children #120

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Hymnal with Music for Children #120

Hymnal, a Teacher's Manual. Vol. 1 #d111

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Hymnal #176

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Hymnal #176

Hymnal #d63

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Hymnal #16

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Hymni Ecclesiae #290

Hymns Ancient and Modern (Standard ed.) #439

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Hymns Ancient and Modern, Revised #529

Hymns Ancient and Modern #263

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Hymns for His Praise #81

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Hymns for the Church #275

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Hymns for the Living Age #328

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Hymns for the Living Church #467

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Hymns for Today #240

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #577

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Hymns for Worship #72

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Hymns of Consecration and Faith #293

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Hymns of Faith and Life #417

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Hymns of Faith and Praise #179

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Hymns of Praise Number Two #267

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Hymns of Praise Numbers One and Two Combined #241

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Hymns of Praise #241

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Hymns of the Ages #183

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Hymns of the Centuries (Chapel Edition) #233

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Hymns of the Centuries #212a

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Hymns of the Centuries #212b

Hymns of the Christian Life #d415

Hymns of the Christian Life #d411

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Hymns of the Christian Life #188

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Hymns of the Christian Life #343

Hymns of the Christian Life #449

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Hymns of the Christian Life. No. 3 #174

Hymns of the Christian Life. Rev. ed. #d454

Hymns of the Christian Life. Rev. ed. #449

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Hymns of the Church Universal #494

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Hymns of the Church, Ancient and Modern #132

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Hymns of the Church #499a

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Hymns of the Church #499b

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Hymns of the Faith with Psalms #228

Hymns of the Faith #35

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Hymns of the Faith #246

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Hymns of the Heart #142a

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #277

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #277

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #277

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Hymns of the Living Church #329a

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Hymns of the Living Church #329b

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Hymns of the United Church #188

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Hymns of the United Church #188

Hymns of Worship and Praise #d124

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Hymns of Worship and Service #355

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Hymns of Worship and Service (15th ed.) #355

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Hymns of Worship and Service (Chapel Ed., 4th ed.) #275

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Hymns of Worship and Service #355

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Hymns of Worship and Service #288

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Hymns of Worship and Service #181a

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Hymns of Worship and Service #181b

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Hymns of Worship and Service #181a

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Hymns of Worship and Service #181b

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Hymns of Worship and Service #281

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Hymns of Worship and Service #281

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Hymns of Worship and Service. (Chapel ed.) #275

Hymns of Worship and Songs of the Gospel #d268

Pages

Exclude 814 pre-1979 instances
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