Scripture Verse

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

Introduction

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John M. Neale (1818–1866)
Wikipedia

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Words: At­trib­ut­ed to Am­brose of Mi­lan, 4th Cen­tu­ry (Ae­ter­na Chris­ti mu­ne­ra). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by John M. Neale in The Hym­nal Not­ed, 1854.

Music: Ae­ter­na Chris­ti Mu­ne­ra me­lo­dy from Gio­van­ni Gui­det­ti’s Di­rec­to­ri­um Cho­ri, 1582. Har­mo­nized in The Eng­lish Hym­nal (Lon­don: Ox­ford Uni­ver­si­ty Press, 1906), num­ber 175 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

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Ambrose of Milan
340–397

Lyrics

The eter­nal gifts of Christ the King,
The Apos­tles’ glo­ri­ous deeds, we sing;
And while due hymns of praise we pay,
Our thank­ful hearts cast grief away.

The Church in these her princ­es boasts,
These vic­tor chiefs of war­ri­ors hosts;
The sol­diers of the hea­ven­ly hall,
The lights that rose on earth for all.

’Twas thus the yearn­ing faith of saints,
The un­con­quered hope that ne­ver faints,
The love of Christ that knows not shame,
The prince of this world ov­er­came.

In these the Fa­ther’s glo­ry shone;
In these the will of God the Son;
In these ex­ults the Ho­ly Ghost;
Through these re­joice the hea­ven­ly host.

Redeemer, hear us of Thy love,
That, with this glo­ri­ous band above,
Hereafter, of Thine end­less grace,
Thy ser­vants also may have place.