Hymn
Lead on, O King Eternal
Lead on, O King Eternal,
The day of march has come,
Henceforth on fields of conquest
Thy tents shall be our home.
Through days of preparation,
Thy grace has made us strong,
And now, O King Eternal,
We lift our battle song.
Lead on, O King Eternal,
Till sin's fierce war shall cease,
And Holiness shall whisper
The sweet Amen of peace;
For not with swords, loud clashing
Nor roll of stirring drums,
But deeds of love and mercy,
The heavenly kingdom comes.
Lead on, O King Eternal
We follow, not with fears;
For gladness breaks like morning
Where'er Thy face appears;
Thy cross is lifted o'er us;
We journey in its light:
The crown awaits the conquest;
Lead on, O God of might.
Lead on, O King Eternal — Text from The Church Hymnal, 1920. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/lead-on-o-king-eternal
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote Lead on, O King Eternal?
The words of Lead on, O King Eternal were written by Ernest W. Shurtleff; the version here was published in 1920.
Is Lead on, O King Eternal public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from The Church Hymnal, published in 1920. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of Lead on, O King Eternal?
Lead on, O King Eternal is in 7.6.7.6 D. Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, Come unto Me, Ye Weary, Jesus Passing and Rejoice! Rejoice, Believers.