(A Christian Hymn)
Oft in danger, oft in woe,
Onward, Christians, onward go;
Bear the toil, maintain the strife,
Strengthened with the bread of life.
Onward, Christians, onward go,
Join the war, and face the foe;
Will ye flee in danger’s hour?
Know ye not your Captain’s power?
Let not sorrow dim your eye;
Soon shall every tear be dry:
Let not fears your course impede;
Great your strength, if great your need.
Let your drooping hearts be glad;
March in heavenly armour clad;
Fight, nor think the battle long:
Soon shall victory wake your song.
Onward then in battle move;
More than conquerors ye shall prove:
Though opposed by many a foe,
Christian soldiers, onward go.
Henry Kirke White – (1785 – 1806)
Henry Kirke White, was an English poet who died at the early age of 21 of consumption, viz. tuberculosis. His poetry is worthy of reading to be sure. Born the son of a butcher, circumstances allowed him to excel in literature; versed in reading the classics in the Latin and Greek languages, he went on to study at Cambridge with the intent of entering into the ministry of the Gospel of Christ. The rigours of study and his poor health never deterred him from living his Christian life, though short it may have been. Robert Southy wrote this, in excerpt in a prefatory note about Henry Kirke White, in “The Poetical Works and Remains” Routledge, London, “…he could not rest satisfied till he had formed his principles upon the basis of Christianity.” In reading what I have of the works of Henry Kirke White, it seems to me that he did indeed “form his principles upon the basis of Christianity”, and now he rests until the appointed day of the glorification of all the bodies of those who are in Christ.
This poem, which was found written on the back of a mathematics paper many years after his death, is one of my favourite hymns to sing on the Lord’s Day. It exemplifies the doctrine of ‘living the Christian life”, by ’being strong in the Lord and the power of His might’, see Ephesians 6:10-13. The life of a Christian is difficult, our Lord Said it would be so, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”(John 16:33)
The poet really brings forth the Christians need for the power of Christ in his life; and, how to attain that power and might. We are “Strengthened with the bread of life.”, he says; by Scripture alone that is; looking to our Lord and His demonstration of this power. He knows the power of Christ and exhorts us to “maintain the strife” and to fight brave; for, in this Army there is no retreat, we are not clad in armour on our backsides, “Onward then in battle move;”
The devil may tempt us to give up and to flee, “Know ye not your Captain’s power?”, says the poet. Do we all recall Nehemiah when the devil sent his agents to him and told him that unless he ran and hid in the temple from his enemies, that he would lose his life, “Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.”(Neh. 6:11) This is our attitude! Our poet paints the picture perfect, we are in a battle, it will never end until we sleep in Christ; and, we should not have “drooping hearts”, for “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”(Romans 8:37) And, though “we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”(Romans 8:36) our victory is sure; for, we are in the Army of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the “Captain of our salvation”, and, He is bringing all that the Father has given to Him into the eternal kingdom, and to glory. For this is God’s battle, it is His honour, and we are his soldiers; and, life in this fallen world is the field on which we live and die.
Wether we live 95 years or 21 years as our poet, we must “Fight, nor think the battle long:”. This is why we are here, to live and to die for Christ in God’s war against the devil, and to “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”(1Tim6:12)
Scripture Alone 