Scripture Verse

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. Matthew 5:16

Introduction

Words: M. A. Mait­land, in Joy­ful Songs, ed­it­ed by James R. Mur­ray (Cleve­land, Ohio: S. Brain­ard’s Sons, 1875), page 18.

Music: Will­iam B. Ev­ans, 1894 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Mait­land’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of him or Ev­ans,

Lyrics

Keep a light in the win­dow burn­ing,
Faint tho’ its glim­mer­ing be;
It may light­en some home­less wan­der­er,
Tossing on life’s dark sea.
It may whis­per words of com­fort,
And hope to the sink­ing heart;
Of the bea­con that fade­less gleam­eth,
When the sun­beams of earth de­part.

Keep a light in the win­dow burn­ing,
Brilliantly for a sign;
That up­on you the Lord of glo­ry
Maketh His face to shine.
Hoping that some long lost bro­ther,
Waylaid in the path of sin;
May see its wel­come glim­mer,
And joy­ful­ly en­ter in.

Keep a light in the win­dow burn­ing,
Ye who in Christ re­joice;
And with hope­ful souls are wait­ing,
For the sound of the Bride­groom’s voice.
Till the light of His glo­ri­ous pre­sence,
Extinguish the fee­ble ray;
Like the morn­ing star it shall van­ish,
In the light of the per­fect day.