Scripture Verse

This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4

Introduction

Words: Hen­ry B. Bee­gle, in The Old Sto­ry in Song Num­ber Two, by Will­iam Kirk­pat­rick et al. (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Praise Pub­lish­ing, 1908), num­ber 52.

Music: Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
William J. Kirkpatrick (1838–1921)

Lyrics

There is a faith sub­lime and grand,
Of saints the crown and glo­ry,
And thou­sands now at God’s right hand,
Proclaim its won­drous sto­ry;
A faith that ev­er works by love,
A liv­ing flame that burn­eth,
That keeps in view the crown above,
The faith that ov­er­com­eth.

Refrain

O for a faith like saints of old,
As told in sac­red sto­ry!
’Twill make us true, and pure, and bold,
And take us home to glo­ry.

Faith led to Ab­el’s sac­ri­fice,
To No­ah’s pre­ser­va­tion;
It shone in En­och’s ho­ly life,
And wrought a grand trans­la­tion;
It crowned with glo­ry Abram’s brow,
Helped Ja­cob at Pe­ni­el;
Its worth the He­brew child­ren knew,
And Da­ni­el in his tri­al.

Refrain

By faith their right­eous deeds were wrought,
And king­doms were sub­ject­ed;
This faith great strength from weak­ness brought,
And from the sword pro­tect­ed;
The rag­ing lions held in chains,
The pow­er of fire sus­pend­ed;
It brought the dead to life again,
And ali­en ar­mies rende­d.

Refrain

This faith has feared no storms of wrath
The hosts of sin could waken,
Has braved the sword and smiled at death,
Tho’ hat­ed and for­sak­en;
Has wak­ened songs in pri­son walls,
All Sa­tan’s darts de­fy­ing,
Unwavering stood in judg­ment halls,
And filled with joy the dy­ing.

Refrain