The Battle of the Centuries

Driving the foe before us, we are pressing on

Author: James Rowe
Tune: [Driving the foe before us, we are pressing on]
Published in 12 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1. Driving the foe before us, we are pressing on,
In the fight for truth and right,
With our banners high in the sunlit sky,
Finding glory in the fight.
Having the sweet assurance that the Lord will win
And reward us in the end,
We are pressing on with God’s great Son,
The soul’s eternal friend.

Refrain
’Tis the battle of the centuries,
It is Christ against the world,
And from age to age shall the battle rage,
Till the banner of sin be furled;
With the mighty Savior of the lost,
Whom the ransomed souls adore,
We will battle on, till the earth be won
And the fight shall be no more.

2. Bearing the priceless message to benighted souls
In the haunts and dens of sin,
Making known His grace to a fettered race,
We with Christ are sure to win;
Spreading His love and mercy with enraptured hearts,
Making known His power to save,
We will true remain, till He shall reign
O’er every land and wave. [Refrain]

3. Every race and people shall His goodness know
And revere Him for His love,
Shall extol our king, till the earth shall bring
Tribute to the King above.
Mercy and grace are winning, and at length, His throne
Our Redeemer shall ascend,
Then thro’ countless days our souls shall praise
The sinner’s perfect friend. [Refrain]

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #362

Author: James Rowe

Pseudonym: James S. Apple. James Rowe was born in England in 1865. He served four years in the Government Survey Office, Dublin Ireland as a young man. He came to America in 1890 where he worked for ten years for the New York Central & Hudson R.R. Co., then served for twelve years as superintendent of the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society. He began writing songs and hymns about 1896 and was a prolific writer of gospel verse with more than 9,000 published hymns, poems, recitations, and other works. Dianne Shapiro, from "The Singers and Their Songs: sketches of living gospel hymn writers" by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (Chicago: The Rodeheaver Company, 1916) Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Driving the foe before us, we are pressing on
Title: The Battle of the Centuries
Author: James Rowe
Language: English
Refrain First Line: 'Tis the battle of the centuries
Publication Date: 1910
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #362
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The Cyber Hymnal #362

Include 11 pre-1979 instances
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