Captain of thine enlisted host

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Captain of thine enlisted host

Author: Christopher Batty
Tune: ABBOTSFORD
Published in 14 hymnals

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Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1. Captain of Thine enlisted host,
Display Thy glorious banner high;
The summons send from coast to coast,
And call a numerous army nigh.

2. A solemn jubilee proclaim
Proclaim the great Sabbatic day;
Assert the glories of Thy name;
Spoil Satan of his wished-for prey.

3. Bid, bid Thy heralds publish loud
The peaceful blessings of Thy reign;
And when they speak of sprinkled blood,
The mystery to the heart explain.

4. Chase the usurper from his throne,
Oh! chase him to his destined hell;
Stout-hearted sinners overcome;
And glorious in Thy temple dwell.

5. Fight for Thyself, O Jesus, fight,
The travail of Thy soul regain;
To each blind soul make darkness light,
To all let crooked paths be plain.

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #746

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Author: Christopher Batty

Batty, Christopher, born at Newby Cote, near Settle, Yorkshire, 1715, died April 19, 1797. He was a member of the "Inghamites," a religious denomination located principally in the northern parts of the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. He assisted James Allen (q. v.) in the production of the Kendal Hymn Book, 1757, to which he contributed 31 hymns. Very few of these are in common use at the present time. His "Captain of Thine enlisted host" (Missions ), from the Kendal Hymn Book. 1757, is found in Kemble's Collection, 1853, No. 475, and in Spurgeon's 0ur Own Hymn Book, No. 968. He completed his brother's poem, Messiah's Kingdom, which was printed in 1792. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Captain of thine enlisted host
Author:	Christopher Batty
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Notes

Captain of Thine enlisted host. C. Batty. [Missions.] Appeared in the Kendal Hymn Book, 1757, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines, and from thence passed into one of the early editions of Lady Huntingdon's Collection From that Collection stanzas i.-iii. were taken by Williams and Boden, 1801. This form of the hymn has descended to several modern collections, including the New Congregational Hymn Book, 1859, No. 921, where, however, it is attributed to C. Wesley in error. Snepps's text, in his Songs of Grace & Glory, 1872, is stanzas i., iii., and iv. altered.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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