Scripture Verse

Keep your lamps burning. Luke 12:35

Introduction

Words: Phi­lip P. Bliss, The Charm (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Root & Ca­dy, 1871), num­ber 14.

Music: Ith­a­ca Phi­lip P. Bliss, 1871 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait

On a dark, stor­my, night, when the waves rolled like moun­tains, and not a star was to be seen, a boat, rock­ing and plung­ing, neared the Cleve­land har­bor.

Are you sure this is Cleve­land? asked the cap­tain, see­ing on­ly one light from the light-house.

Quite sure, sir, re­plied the pi­lot.

Where are the low­er lights?

Gone out, sir.

Can you make the har­bor?

We must, or per­ish, sir!

And with a strong hand and a brave heart, the old pi­lot turned the wheel. But al­as, in the dark­ness he mis­sed the chan­nel, and with a crash up­on the rocks the boat was shiv­ered, and ma­ny a life lost in a wa­te­ry grave.

Brethren, the Mas­ter will take care of the great light-house: let us keep the low­er lights burn­ing!

D. L. Moody

Philip P. Bliss, The Charm 1871

Lyrics

Brightly beams our Father’s mercy from His lighthouse evermore,
But to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore.
Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave!
For to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore.
[or Some poor struggling, sinking sailor you may rescue, you may save.]

Dark the night of sin has settled, loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing for the lights, along the shore.
Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave!
Eager eyes are watching, longing for the lights, along the shore.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother, some poor sailor tempest tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor, in the darkness may be lost.
Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave!
Trying now to make the harbor, some poor sailor may be lost.

illustration
Izumo Hinomisaki, Japan