No. 84 Royal Proclamation, Soh 146
Hexatonic, mode 3 A (I II III — V VI VII)
Hear the royal proclamation,
The glad tidings of salvation,
Publishing to every creature,
To the ruin’d sons of nature.
Jesus reigns, he reigns victorious,
Over heaven and earth most glorious,
Jesus reigns.
See the royal banner flying,
Hear the heralds loudly crying:
“Rebel sinners, royal favour
Now is offer’d by the Saviour.”
Jesus reigns, etc.
Hear, ye sons of wrath and ruin,
Who have wrought your own undoing,
Here is life and free salvation,
Offered to the whole creation.
Jesus reigns, etc.
Although Ananias Davisson claims, in the Supplement to The Kentucky Harmony, to have made the tune, no subsequent user of the song seems to have looked on him as its author. It has all the earmarks of an eighteenth century fife-and-drum-corps tune which was appropriately set to the religio-martial text. Found also, UH 91, KNH 91, HH 468, SKH 107, GOS 643.