The Struggle Between Faith and Unbelief

Jesus, our souls' delightful choice

Author: Philip Doddridge
Published in 39 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Jesus, our soul's delightful choice,
In thee believing we rejoice;
Yet still our joy is mix'd with grief,
While faith contends with unbelief.

2 Thy promises our hearts revive,
And keep our fainting hopes alive;
But guilt, and fears, and sorrows rise,
And hide the promise from our eyes.

3 O let not sin and satan boast,
While saints lie mourning in the dust;
Nor see that faith to ruin brought,
Which thy own gracious hand hath wrought.

4 Do thou the dying spark inflame;
Reveal the glories of thy name;
And put all anxious doubts to flight,
As shades dispers'd by opening light.

Source: A Selection of Hymns: from the best authors, intended to be an appendix to Dr. Watt's psalms and hymns. (1st Am. ed.) #CCXIX

Author: Philip Doddridge

Philip Doddridge (b. London, England, 1702; d. Lisbon, Portugal, 1751) belonged to the Non-conformist Church (not associated with the Church of England). Its members were frequently the focus of discrimination. Offered an education by a rich patron to prepare him for ordination in the Church of England, Doddridge chose instead to remain in the Non-conformist Church. For twenty years he pastored a poor parish in Northampton, where he opened an academy for training Non-conformist ministers and taught most of the subjects himself. Doddridge suffered from tuberculosis, and when Lady Huntington, one of his patrons, offered to finance a trip to Lisbon for his health, he is reputed to have said, "I can as well go to heaven from Lisbon as from Nort… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Jesus, our souls' delightful choice
Title: The Struggle Between Faith and Unbelief
Author: Philip Doddridge
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Jesus, our souls' delightful choice. P. Doddridge. [Spiritual Conflict.] This hymn is No. 1 of the D. MSS., is in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, is headed "On the Struggle between Faith and Unbelief," and is dated "Sep. 7, 1735." J. Orton included it in his edition of Doddridge's (posthumous) Hymns, &c, 1755, No. 197; and J. D. Humphreys in his edition of the same, 1839, No. 220. It is in a few modern collections, including Spurgeon's 0ur Own Hymn Book, 1866.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 39 of 39)

A Baptist Hymn Book, Designed Especially for the Regular Baptist Church and All Lovers of Truth #d402

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A Choice Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the use of Christians #426

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A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the United Brethren in Christ #283

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A New Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs #464

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A Selection of Hymns & Psalms #156

A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs #H.CXXXII

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A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs #H.CXXXII

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A Selection of Hymns for the use of social religious meetings, and for private devotions 2d ed. #88

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A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors. #219

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A Selection of Hymns #CCXIX

A Selection of Hymns....3d ed #d134

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Baptist Hymn Book #a286

Choral Harp for Sunday Schools #d75

Church Hymn Book . 3rd ed. #d262

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Hymn and Tune Book for Use in Old School or Primitive Baptist Churches #194

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Hymns for Social Worship #111

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Psalms and Hymns, for the Use of the German Reformed Church, in the United States of America. (2nd ed.) #127

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The Baptist Hymn Book #527

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The Baptist Hymn Book #286

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The Christian Harmonist #26

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

The Hymnal of the Reformed Church in the United States #d321

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The Psalmist #S41

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The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts #937

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The Psalms and Hymns #135

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The Saint's Harp #123

The Service of Song for Baptist Churches #d430

The Southern Psalmist #d415

The Southern Psalmist. New ed. #d435

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The Vocal Companion #70

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Waters' Choral Harp #93c

Zion's Hymns, for the Use of the Original Free-Will Baptist Church of North Carolina #d141

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