Source for text from The Revivalist (1868).

[Aldous]

Singing friends,

I wonder if any of you might be able to help me locate a source for the following text:

The Christian race is now begun,

O, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! 

We’re striving for a heav’nly crown,

O, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!

For the prize, it lies at the end of the race,

O, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!

 

We’ll run the race and gain the prize,

O, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! 

The heav’nly mansion in the skies,

O, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!

For the prize, it lies at the end of the race,

O, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!

The when the race we’ve nobly run,

O, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! 

He’ll count us worthy of a crown.

O, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!

For the prize, it lies at the end of the race

O, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!

The earliest source I can find for it is Joseph Hillman's The Revivalist (1868), where it is listed "as sung by Rev. G[eorge]. C. Wells." However, I do not believe Wells himself was the original author. (There is at least one other text in this book that bears a similar attribution to Wells, but which was actually taken from an earlier source.) In any case, 1868 also seems a bit late for this kind of text.

The Revivalist setting appears on page 44, and is available at:

http://books.google.com/books?id=nRI3AAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+revivalist&hl=en&sa=X&ei=kViYT4yuGab26AGTqbHhBg&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=the%20revivalist&f=false 

Thanks so much for your help!

Aldous.