Scripture Verse

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth. Ephesians 6:14

Introduction

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Basil Manly, Jr. (1825–1892)

Words: Ba­sil Man­ly, Jr., 1860. This hymn was writ­ten for the first gra­du­ation ce­re­mo­ny of the South­ern Bap­tist Theo­lo­gic­al Se­mi­na­ry, Green­ville, South Ca­ro­li­na.

Music: Men­don, Ger­man tune. Ar­ranged by Sam­uel Dy­er, Sup­ple­ment of Sam­uel Dy­er’s Third Edi­tion of Sac­red Mu­sic 1828 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

Soldiers of Christ, in truth ar­rayed,
A world in ru­ins needs your aid:
A world by sin de­stroyed and dead;
A world for which the Sav­ior bled.

His Gos­pel to the lost pro­claim,
Good news for all in Je­sus’ name;
Let light up­on the dark­ness break
That sin­ners from their death may wake.

Morning and ev­en­ing sow the seed,
God’s grace the ef­fort shall suc­ceed.
Seedtimes of tears have oft been found
With sheaves of joy and plen­ty crowned.

We meet to part, but part to meet,
When earth­ly la­bors are com­plete,
To join in yet more blest em­ploy,
In an eter­nal world of joy.