Samuel Whitelock Gandy is the original writer of this hymn; he was the Vicar of a church in Kingston-on-Thames with Richmond from Jan. 1817 to his death, Dec. 24, 1851. As well as this hymn, his other more popular hymn was “What tho’ the Accuser roar” (Victory through Jesus) found in the Plymouth Brethren “Hymns for the Poor of the Flock“, 1838. Some of his Sermons were published posthumously in 1859¹. This version has been slightly tweaked by Zac Hicks, but is wonderful nonetheless.

His be the Victor’s Name
Who fought the fight alone;
Triumphant saints no honour claim;
Their conquest was His own.

By weakness and defeat
He won the glorious crown;
Trod all His foes beneath His feet
By being trodden down.

Refrain
What though the vile accuser roar
Of sins that I have done;
I know them well, and thousands more;
My God, He knoweth none

He hell in hell laid low;
Made sin, He sin o’erthrew;
Bowed to the grave, destroyed it so,
And death, by dying, slew.

Refrain

Bless, bless the Conqueror slain,
Slain by divine decree!
Who lived, who died, who lives again,
For thee, my soul, for thee.

Refrain

My sin is cast into the sea
Of God’s forgotten memory
No more to haunt accusingly
For Christ has lived and died for me

¹https://hymnary.org/text/his_be_the_victors_name

Although attributed to different writers, when John Rippon published this hymn in a hymnal called “A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts’ Pslams and Hymns (1797)”, this was included and authored by an unknown “K”. With it also carried the title “Exceedingly Great and Precious Promises”¹. I remember this hymn from a Spurgeon sermon I read recently. When preaching on Hebrews 13:5, Spurgeon (who also quotes this hymn) says “I have no doubt you are aware that our translation does not convey the whole force of the original, and that it would hardly be possible in English to give the full weight of the Greek. We might render it, “He hath said, I will never, never leave thee; I will never, never, never forsake thee”…what ground there is here for faith! Let us lean upon our God with all our weight. Let us throw ourselves upon his faithfulness as we do upon our beds, bringing all our weariness to his dear rest. Now, right on our God let us cast the burdens of our bodies, and our souls, for he hath said, “I will never leave thee; I will never forsake thee.”²

How firm a foundation you saints of the lord
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word.
What more can he say than to you he has said
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled.

Fear not I am with you, oh be not dismayed
For I am your God and will still give you aid.
I’ll strengthen you, help you and cause you to stand
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call you to go
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow.
For I will be with you, your troubles to bless
And sanctify to you your deepest distress.

When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie
My grace all-sufficient shall be your supply.
The flame shall not hurt you, I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to His foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

¹page 136 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church
²spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/never-never-never-never-never/#flipbook/