Skip to main content

Fling Out The Banner ! Let It Float Hymn Story and Lyrics - George Washington Doane, 1799-1859

Fling Out The Banner ! Let It Float Hymn Story

GEORGE WASHINGTON DOANE, once Protestant Episcopal Bishop of New Jersey, was born the same year in which General George Washington died 1799. His life, which spanned the years until 1872, was filled with remarkable activity. He graduated at Union College in 1818, began his ministry at Trinity Church, New York, was a professor in Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, and later rector of Trinity Church, Boston, when he was elected to be Bishop of New Jersey. 

Five years after he became bishop, he founded on the banks of the Delaware River at Burlington, New Jersey, a Protestant Episcopalian school for girls, known as Saint Mary s Hall, about which the best traditions of the Diocese of New Jersey have centered. The Bishop took the liveliest interest in the school, and watched over the destiny of his educational child with fatherly anxiety. 

George Washington Doane
His successor, Bishop John Scarborough, who inherited through his office this interest in the school, once told the writer how Bishop Doane came to write the famous missionary hymn, "Fling out the banner !" In 1848 there was to be a flagraising at Saint Mary's Hall, and the girls of the school appealed to Bishop Doane to write a song for them to sing on that occasion. The result was the writing of this hymn, which was sung for the first time by the young ladies of the seminary, and has been sung at thousands of missionary meetings since then, to the spiritual stimulation of many souls. 



Fling Out The Banner Let It Float Lyrics

Fling out the banner! let it float
Skyward and seaward, high and wide;
The sun that lights its shining folds,
The cross, on which the Savior died.

 Fling out the banner! heathen lands
Shall see from far the glorious sight,
And nations crowding to be born
Baptize their spirits in its light.

 Fling out the banner! angels bend
In anxious silence o’er the sight,
And vainly seek to comprehend
The wonder of the love divine.

 Fling out the banner! sin sick souls
That sink and perish in the strife,
Shall touch in faith its radiant hem,
And spring immortal into life.

 Fling out the banner! let it float
Skyward and seaward, high and wide,
Our glory, only in the cross;
Our only hope, the Crucified!

 Fling out the banner! wide and high,
Seaward and skyward, let it shine;
Nor skill, nor might, nor merit ours;
We conquer only in that sign.

 For more lyrics and stories click here.

Fling Out The Banner Let It Float Youtube Video


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul Hymn

Story Behind Heaven Came Down  Heaven Came Down is a hymn that is of recent origin as it was written in 1961 by John W Peterson. It draws its inspiration from a testimony delivered by an old man named Jim at Montrose Bible Conference Grounds, Pennsylvania. During the testimony talked of his conversion experience. In the testimony he used the phrase, "It seemed like Heaven came down and glory filled my soul." It is this phrase that inspired John W Pearson to write a song using this phrase later that week.  John W Peterson wrote over a thousand hymns but it is this song that has touched and continues to touch millions of Christians all over the world. He died on September 20, 2006, at the age of 84 after suffering from prostate cancer. It is so sweet to entrust and surrender our lives to our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven does literally come down into our hearts when we do that. John W Peterson Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul
Post a Comment
Read more

Popular and Old Hymns Lyrics and History

This blog exists to share the history and lyrics of popular hymns and old hymns that people have come to love over the years. It is only when you go behind what led to the authors writing these songs that you start to appreciate the message of these songs. While preaching is still the most effective way of spreading the gospel, Christian music has helped in "seasoning"  the presentation of the gospel. It has in some cases even led people to Christ on its own. I hope that this blog will through the stories behind these old and popular hymns help us to draw closer to Christ. As we see the experience of these writers we will appreciate more these hymns. I am a believer in simple and not complicated Christian music. I prefer music that focuses on the message rather than the instruments used. I am not a fan of drowning the voice in the noise of the instruments. I want the people to hear the message of the songs. Christian music for me is not about entertainment b
Post a Comment
Read more

On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand (My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less) Lyrics and Story

My Hope Is Built On Nothing Else / On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand History My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less or On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand is the best-known hymn of Edward Mote who wrote it in 1834. The original title of this hymn was, "The Immutable Basis for a Sinner's Hope". Edward Mote was the pastor of Rehoboth Baptist Church in Horsham West Sussex in the United Kingdom. It looks as if the inspiration for this hymn came from Christ parable of the wise and foolish builders. In the parable, Christ speaks of the foolish builder who built his house on sinking sand while the wise builder built his on solid rock. As you would imagine a storm easily swept away the one built on sand. Edward Mote - On Christ the Solid Rock Christ is the solid rock upon which we can build our house of faith. Any other foundation is like one on sand and will ultimately fail. On the authorship of this song Mr. Mote's explanation, communicated to the Gospel Herald, is
Post a Comment
Read more