Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Gates of Brass

Representative Text

1 Lift up your heads, you gates of brass;
ye bars of iron, yield;
and let the King of Glory pass;
the cross is in the field.

2 That banner, brighter than the star
that leads the train of night,
shines on the march, and guides from far
his servants to the fight.

3 A holy war those servants wage;
in that mysterious strife,
the powers of heaven and hell engage
for more than death or life.

4 Ye armies of the living God,
sworn warriors of Christ's host,
where hallowed footsteps never trod,
take their appointed post.

5 Though few and small and weak your bands,
strong in your Captain's strength,
go to the conquest of all lands;
all must be his at length.

6 The spoils at his victorious feet
you shall rejoice to lay,
and lay yourselves as trophies meet,
in his great judgment day.

7 Then fear not, faint nor, halt not now;
in Jesus' name, be strong!
To him shall all the nations bow,
and sing the triumph song—

8 uplifted are the gates of brass,
the bars of iron yield;
behold the King of Glory pass;
the cross hath won the field.

Source: CPWI Hymnal #432

Author: James Montgomery

James Montgomery (b. Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, 1771; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1854), the son of Moravian parents who died on a West Indies mission field while he was in boarding school, Montgomery inherited a strong religious bent, a passion for missions, and an independent mind. He was editor of the Sheffield Iris (1796-1827), a newspaper that sometimes espoused radical causes. Montgomery was imprisoned briefly when he printed a song that celebrated the fall of the Bastille and again when he described a riot in Sheffield that reflected unfavorably on a military commander. He also protested against slavery, the lot of boy chimney sweeps, and lotteries. Associated with Christians of various persuasions, Montgomery supported missio… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Lift up your heads, ye gates of brass
Title: Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Gates of Brass
Author: James Montgomery
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Publication Date: 1918
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Lift up your heads, ye gates of brass. J. Montgomery. [Missions.] This hymn is amongst the “M. MSS.," but is undated. It was printed in the Evangelical Magazine, 1843; and again in Montgomery's Original Hymns, 1853, No. 265, in 19 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "China Evangelized"; Pt. ii. beginning “Ye armies of the living God”; and Pt. iii. "No carnal weapons those ye bear." In the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge em>Church Hymns, 1871, No. 291, is composed of stanzas i.—iii., xviii., xix. some¬what altered.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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The Cyber Hymnal #4078
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Instances

Instances (1 - 93 of 93)
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A Missionary Hymn Book #78

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Alleluia #144

Australian Hymn Book #381

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Book of Worship #141

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Carmina Sanctorum, a selection of hymns and songs of praise with tunes #657

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Carmina Sanctorum #657

Christian Youth Hymnal #276

Church Hymnal, Fourth Edition #279

Church Hymnal, Third Edition #278

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Church Hymns and Tunes #582

Church Hymns with Tunes #291

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Church Hymns #325

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Common Praise #448

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Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church #216

Convention Hymnal #d47

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CPWI Hymnal #432

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Fellowship Hymns #194

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Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #359

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Hymnal of the First General Missionary Convention of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Cleveland, Ohio, October 21 to 24, 1902. #38

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Hymns Ancient and Modern (Standard ed.) #586

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Edition #528

Hymns Ancient and Modern, Revised #306

Hymns and Prayers for Church Societies and Assemblies #d74

Hymns and Psalms #227

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Hymns for the Living Age #389

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #509

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Hymns of the Christian Life #190

Hymns of the Christian Life #447

Hymns of the Christian Life. Rev. ed. #d260

Hymns of the Christian Life. Rev. ed. #447

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #278

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #278

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #278

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Hymns of the Spirit #677

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Hymns of Worship and Service #413

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Hymns of Worship and Service (15th ed.) #413

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Hymns of Worship and Service #413

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Laymens' Missionary Movement Convention Hymnal #25

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Many Voices; or, Carmina Sanctorum, Evangelistic Edition with Tunes #480

Missionary Hymnal #35

Notes of Gladness #d75

Old Choir Selections #d27

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Sacred Poems and Hymns #265

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Service Book and Hymnal of the Lutheran Church in America #308

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Songs for the Chapel #222a

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Songs for the Chapel #222b

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Songs of Life #68

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Songs of Praise #171

Songs of praise #301

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Songs of the Assembly #100

Student Volunteer Hymnal #d47

The American Hymnal #d299

The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #d195

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The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #362

The Australian Hymn Book with Catholic Supplement #381

The Book of Common Praise #387a

The Book of Common Praise #387b

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The Book of Common Praise #533

The Book of Praise #389

The Book of Praise #390

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The Century Hymnal #357

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The Church Hymnary #439

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The Church Hymnary #560

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The Church Missionary Hymn Book #135

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The Church School Hymnal for Youth #318

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The Convention Hymnal #31

The Council Hymnal #78

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #4078

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The English Hymnal #549

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The English Hymnal #549

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The Evangelical Hymnal #326

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The Evangelical Hymnal. Text edition #326

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The Greatest Hymns #216

The Hill School Hymnal and Service Book #d115

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The Hymnal #413

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The Hymnal of Praise #427

The Hymnal #368

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The Hymnal #406

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The Hymnal #413

The Hymnary for use in Baptist churches #260

The Hymnary of the United Church of Canada #260

The Methodist Hymn-Book with Tunes #265

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The Modern Hymnal #2

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The People's Hymn Book #196

The People's Praise Book or Carmina Sanctorum #d333

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The Pilgrim Hymnal #509

The Presbyterian Hymnal #399

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The School Hymnal #134

The Shining Strand #d27

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The University Hymn Book #249

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Trinity Hymnal #384

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