Hymns: He Who Would Valiant Be

I’ve been exploring some of the very modern worship songs as an old guy 😀. But now, I’ve decided to alternate between very modern hymns, old hymns, and in-between hymns, namely the worship songs from the 60s to the 90s that feature in hymnbooks such as Mission Praise. Today it’s the turn of the old hymns.

Today’s song is He Who Would Valiant Be from 1906.

He Who Would Valiant Be

Lyrics

He who would valiant be
'Gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy
Follow the Master.
There's no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.

Who so beset him round
With dismal stories,
Do but themselves confound -
His strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might,
Though he with giants fight:
He will make good his right
To be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, thou dost defend
Us with thy Spirit,
We know we at the end
Shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away!
I'll fear not what men say,
I'll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.

Even though it became a hymn in 1906, it began as a poem in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress back in 1678. I read a modern version of that book back in 1981, and I loved it. It included Scripture references, for texts that influenced the allegory.

Nowadays there’s many YouTube videos about it, but I’d like to find that old book I read again sometime soon 😀. I can never find the exact one that I read, though many modern and older versions are available.

When I became an evangelical Christian in 1980, I became aware of different streams or movements within evangelicalism. One of them was the modern reformed movement which was associated with great preachers or theologians such as Martyn Lloyd Jones and J.I. Packer. They had a great love for the puritans – the radical side of the English reformation. They were persecuted in Europe, so, many of them moved to America, such as the Pilgrim Fathers. I tried to read some the the puritan literature, but I always found it tough going. But I did enjoy reading books by those who admired the puritans. Here are some big names in the late 20th century reformed movement:

Martyn Lloyd‑Jones — Preacher at Westminster Chapel; central architect of the Reformed resurgence.
J. I. Packer — Theologian; author of Knowing God; major interpreter of the Puritans.
Iain Murray — Co‑founder of Banner of Truth; historian of the movement.
John Stott — Anglican evangelical leader; shaped global evangelical theology.
James Montgomery Boice — Reformed pastor‑theologian; defender of biblical inerrancy.
Eric Alexander — Scottish preacher known for expository depth.
Sinclair Ferguson — Theologian and pastor; major Reformed voice from the late 20th century.
Alec Motyer — Old Testament scholar; influential in evangelical biblical studies.
John Murray — Westminster Seminary theologian; author of Redemption Accomplished and Applied.
Geoffrey Thomas — Welsh pastor; influential in Reformed pastoral theology.
R. C. Sproul — Founder of Ligonier Ministries; major teacher of Reformed doctrine.
Cornelius Van Til — Father of presuppositional apologetics; Westminster Seminary.
Francis Schaeffer — Apologist and cultural critic; founder of L’Abri.
John MacArthur — Expository preacher with strong Reformed leanings.
D. A. Carson — New Testament scholar; co‑founder of The Gospel Coalition.
John Piper — Pastor‑theologian; influential in “Christian Hedonism” and modern Reformed resurgence.
Tim Keller — Pastor and apologist; shaped urban Reformed ministry.
Edward J. Young — Old Testament scholar; defender of biblical authority.
Gordon Clark — Philosopher‑theologian; major figure in Reformed epistemology.
B. B. Warfield — Though late 19th–early 20th century, his theology profoundly shaped the entire movement.

I did have other influences, but I generally tended to align myself to the reformed movement. As with any movement, there were varying opinions and approaches within it. Some were very cautious or suspicious of change and anything new or modern. Others were more open to interact with newer movements, such as the charismatic movement. And some very fundamentalist evangelicals, saw the whole reformed movement as not being conservative enough in cultural terms and as being too open to interact with modern scholarship.

The way I see it is that a movement can be a great influence and provide great resources, but you don’t need too agree with everything or sign up to everything. It’s Jesus who we’re following. But if I were to label myself, I’d probably label myself as “reformed” in my theology. But hymns come from are sorts of Christian movements and, I’ve grown to love them all, even if I wouldn’t identify with all the movements that the emerge from.

Anyway, all those in the reformed movement had a great love for history. It’s interesting to see He Who Would Valiant Be sung in a high church setting in the first video above. Back in the 17th century, Puritans, such as Bunyan would have been imprisoned or even killed by mainstream Protestantism.

Here’s a short video about John Bunyan: