Scripture Verse

Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? And they have slain those who foretold the coming of the Just One. Acts 7:52

Introduction

Words: Al­ice J. Ni­chols, in Great Re­viv­al Hymns No. 2, ed­it­ed by Ho­mer A. Ro­de­hea­ver & Bent­ley D. Ack­ley (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois & Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Ro­de­heav­er, 1913), num­ber 143.

Music: Poz­zuo­li Charles H. Ga­bri­el (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Ni­chols (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Charles Gabriel (1856–1932)

Lyrics

Listen to the won­drous mu­sic
Ringing down the ag­es long,
’Tis the voice of great Je­ho­vah
Breaking forth in migh­ty song,
Singing of His Christ our king,
Who should come in low­ly birth,
And with truth and right­eous­ness
Reign and rule in all the earth.

Persecution met His pro­phets,
Sword and dun­geon, pain and stress;
Prisoned, slain was His fore­run­ner
Preaching forth in right­eous­ness;
Mocked and scourged and cru­ci­fied
Was His pro­mised Christ, our king,
Yet thro’ all the rage and scorn
Hear the song of tri­umph ring.

Onward, on­ward, His do­min­ion
Swept the earth with migh­ty flood,
Naught could hin­der its sure tri­umph,
Heroes’ fires nor mar­tyrs’ blood;
Ever gleamed the cross more bright,
Still more glo­ri­ous grew the King,
As from age to age glad souls
Heard the song of tri­umph ring.

Unto ev­ery tribe and na­tion
Speed the her­alds of the cross,
Finding joy in tri­bu­la­tion,
Counting all for Him but loss;
Heathen hearts a Sav­ior find,
All the isles pro­claim Him king,
Yea, in ev­ery land and race
Hear the song of tri­umph ring.

Mighty God, Thy voice clear ring­ing
Reaches to earth’s far­thest shore;
Dare hearts still de­ny Thee wel­come?
Dare they fail Christ to adore?
God eter­nal, let Thy song
Still in heav’n­ly ca­dence ring,
Till each heart the Christ con­fess,
And, ador­ing, crown Him king.