Sunday Morning Praise

Stand up for Jesus was written by minister George Duffield in 1858. It was inspired by the dying words of his friend and fellow pastor, Dudley Tyng. Amidst a city-wide revival in Philadelphia in 1858, Tyng preached a sermon and during the sermon remarked, "I must tell my Master's errand, and I would rather that this right arm were amputated at the trunk than that I should come short of my duty to you in delivering God's message." The very next week, Tyng was visiting in the country and, while observing a corn thrasher in a barn, his loose sleeve was caught in the machine and his arm was severely lacerated. The main artery was severed and the median nerve was greatly affected. Within days, infection developed and on April 19, 1858, Dudley Tyng died as a result of shock and great blood loss. Gathered with friends and fellow ministers on his death bed, Tyng was asked for a final statement to which he responded, "Let us all stand up for Jesus." Those final words inspired George Duffield to compose a short poem that he read the next morning in tribute to his friend. The words of the poem were printed for distribution in the Sunday school and somehow landed in the hands of the editor of a Baptist periodical. It was not much longer before that short poem found its way into the hymnals and mouths of God's people.*

 Stand Up for Jesus

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day.
Ye that are brave now serve Him against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song.
To those who vanquish evil a crown of life shall be;
They with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.

*All background information provided by "101 Hymn Stories" written by Kenneth W. Osbeck.