Scripture Verse

Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most mighty, with Thy glory and Thy majesty. And in Thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things. Psalm 45:3–4

Introduction

portrait
Philip Doddridge (1702–1751)

Words: Phi­lip Dodd­ridge (1702–1751). Pub­lished post­hu­mous­ly in Hymns Found­ed on Va­ri­ous Texts in the Ho­ly Scrip­tures, by Job Or­ton (Shrop­shire, Eng­land: Jo­shua Ed­dowes & John Cot­ton, 1755), num­ber 41, alt. The tri­umph of Christ in the cause of truth, meek­ness, and right­eous­ness. Some hym­nals omit the first stan­za.

Music: Rhine, ano­ny­mous, in the Con­gre­ga­tion­al Hymn and Tune Book (New Ha­ven, Con­nec­ti­cut: Peck, White & Peck, 1856), page 278 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

Lyrics

Loud to the Prince of Heav’n
Your cheerful voices raise!
To Him your vows be giv’n,
And fill His courts with praise.
With conscious worth, all clad in arms,
All bright in charms, He sallies forth.

Gird on Thy conqu’ring sword,
Ascend Thy shining car,
And march, al­migh­ty Lord,
To wage Thy holy war.
Before His wheels, in glad surprise,
Ye valleys, rise, and sink, ye hills.

Fair truth, and smiling love,
And injured right­eous­ness
In Thy bright retinue move,
And seek from Thee redress:
Thou in their cause shalt prosperous ride,
And far and wide dispense Thy laws.

Before Thine awful face
Shall foes in millions fall,
The captives of Thy grace,
That grace, which conquers all.
The world shall know, great King of kings,
What wondrous things Thine arm can do.

Here to my willing soul
Bend Thy triumphant way;
Here every foe control,
And all Thy power display.
My heart, Thy throne, blest Je­sus, see
Bows low to Thee, to Thee alone.