’Tis for Conquering Kings to Gain

’Tis for conquering kings to gain
Glory o’er their myriads slain;
Jesus, Thy more glorious strife
Hath restored a world to life.

So no other Name is giv’n
Unto mortals under Heav’n
Which can make the dead to rise,
And exalt them to the skies.

That which Christ so hardly wrought,
That which He so dearly bought,
That salvation, mortals, say,
Will you madly cast away?

Rather gladly for that Name
Bear the cross, endure the shame;
Joyfully for Him to die
Is not death, but victory.

Dost Thou, Jesus, condescend
To be called the sinner’s Friend?
Ours, then, it shall always be
Thus to make our boast of Thee.

Author: John Chandler

Year: 1837

This is a translation from the Latin hymn 'Prome nova, dies, nova' by an anonymous medieval author. John Chandler included it in his 1837 collection 'Hymns of the Primitive Church'. Some hymnals attribute the English text to Chandler; a few later books list it as anonymous or traditional.