The Christian's noblest resolution

Ah, wretched souls, who strive in vain

Author: Anne Steele
Tune: PILESGROVE
Published in 92 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Ah wretched souls, who strive in vain,
Slaves to the world, and slaves to sin!
A nobler toil may I sustain,
A nobler satisfaction win.

2 I would resolve with all my heart,
With all my pow'rs to serve the Lord,
Nor from his precepts e'er depart,
Whose service is a rich reward.

3 O be his service all my joy!
Around let my example shine;
Till others love the blest employ,
And join in labours so divine.

4 Be this the purpose of my soul,
My solemn my determin'd choice,
To yield to his supreme control,
And in his kind commands rejoice.

5 O may I never faint nor tire,
Nor wandering leave his sacred ways;
Great God! accept my soul's desire,
And give me strength to live thy praise.

Source: A Collection of Hymns and A Liturgy: for the use of Evangelical Lutheran Churches; to which are added prayers for families and individuals #287

Author: Anne Steele

Anne Steele was the daughter of Particular Baptist preacher and timber merchant William Steele. She spent her entire life in Broughton, Hampshire, near the southern coast of England, and devoted much of her time to writing. Some accounts of her life portray her as a lonely, melancholy invalid, but a revival of research in the last decade indicates that she had been more active and social than what was previously thought. She was theologically conversant with Dissenting ministers and "found herself at the centre of a literary circle that included family members from various generations, as well as local literati." She chose a life of singleness to focus on her craft. Before Christmas in 1742, she declined a marriage proposal from contemporar… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Ah, wretched souls, who strive in vain
Title: The Christian's noblest resolution
Author: Anne Steele
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Ah, wretched souls who strive in vain. Anne Steele. [Lent.] A hymn on "The Christian's Noblest Resolution” which appeared in her Poems on Subjects chiefly Devotional, 1760, vol. i. p. 161, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines, from whence it passed into the Baptist Collection of Hymns of Ash and Evans, 1769, No. 286, and signed "T."; into Rippon's Baptist Selection 1787, No. 334, and others. It is also found in Sedgwick's reprint of Miss Steele's Hymns, 1863.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
=================
Ah, wretched souls who strive in vain, p. 33, i. The following are from this hymn, (1) "My soul no more shall strive in vain"; and (2) "May [Now] I resolve with all my heart."

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 92 of 92)
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A Choice Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the use of Christians #541

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A Collection of Hymns and a Liturgy for the Use of Evangelical Lutheran Churches #287

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A Collection of Hymns and a Liturgy #287

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A Collection of Hymns and A Liturgy #287

A Collection of Hymns for Public and Private Worship approved by the Presbytery of Charleston #d2

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A Collection of Hymns, for the Christian Church and Home #256

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship #300

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (10th ed.) #300

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) #300

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (3rd ed.) #300

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #300

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #300

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship #CIV

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Publick Worship #CIV

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Sanctuary #315

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the use of Universalist Societies and Families (13th ed.) #443

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Use of Universalist Societies and Families 16ed. #443

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship #124

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship (Rev. ed. with supplement) #124

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns #388

A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #d4

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A Selection of Hymns and Psalms for Social and Private Worship (2nd ed. Enl. and Imp.) #239

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A Selection of Hymns and Psalms for Social and Private Worship (6th ed.) #247

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A Selection of Hymns and Psalms, for Social and Private Worship. (11th ed.) #247

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A Selection of Hymns and Psalms #239

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A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors. #334

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A Selection of Hymns #CCCXXXIV

A Selection of Hymns....3d ed #d5

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns, Embracing all the Varieties of Subjects #H104

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A Selection of Sacred Poetry #388

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A Selection of Sacred Poetry #388

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Baptist Hymn Book #a418

Chapel Hymns #d9

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Church Choral-Book #96

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Church music #XX

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Divine Hymns, or Spiritual Songs #119

Family Singing Book. Rev ed. with Supplement #d8

Hymns and Tunes for Vestry and Conference Meetings #d4

Hymns and Tunes for Vestry and Conferences. 2nd ed. #d3

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Hymns for Christian Devotion #443

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Hymns for Christian Devotion #443

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Hymns for Public Worship #393

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Hymns for the Christian Church, for the Use of the First Church of Christ in Boston #299

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Hymns for the Church of Christ (3rd thousand) #716

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Hymns for the Church of Christ. (6th thousand) #716

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Hymns for the Sanctuary #473

Hymns Selected #d2

Hymns Selected from Dr. Watts, Dr. Doddridge and Various Other Writers #d2

Hymns, Collects, Anthems and Selections #d5

Parish Psalmody #d7

Parish Psalmody #d7

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Poems on Subjects Chiefly Devotional, Vol. 1 #161

Psalms and Hymns for the Worship of God #d12

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Psalms and Hymns, Adapted to Public Worship #235

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Psalms and Hymns, for Christian Use and Worship #H282

Sacred poetry #d3

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Sacred Poetry #aH.III

Sacred Poetry #d3

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Sacred Poetry #H.III

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The Baptist Hymn Book #418

The Christian Hymn Book #d8

The Christian Hymn Book (Ohio Auglaize Christian Conference) #d5

The Christian Hymn Book. 7th ed. #d9

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The Christian Hymn-Book (Corr. and Enl., 3rd. ed.) #38

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The Christian Psalmist #395

The Christian Psalter #d7

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The Cluster of Spiritual Songs, Divine Hymns and Sacred Poems #CDXXI

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The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the Most Approved Authors #CCXIII

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The Hartford Selection of Hymns #CCXIII

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The New Hymn Book, Designed for Universalist Societies #393

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The New Hymn Book, Designed for Universalist Societies #393

The Providence Selection of Hymns, Supplementary to Dr. Watts. #d3

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The Psalmist #S102

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The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts #1052

The Psalms of David ... New ed. #d3

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The Springfield Collection of Hymns for Sacred Worship #258

The Universalist Hymn Book #d7

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The Universalist Hymn-Book #285

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