Scripture Verse

Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12

Introduction

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Edward H. Plumptre (1821–1891)

Words: Ed­ward H. Plump­tre, The Way, the Truth, and the Life 1864.

Music: St. Pe­ters­burg at­trib­ut­ed to Dmi­tri S. Bort­ni­an­sky, 1825 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Dmitri S. Bortniansky (1752–1825)

Lyrics

O Light, whose beams il­lu­mine all
From twi­light dawn to per­fect day,
Shine Thou be­fore the sha­dows fall
That lead our wan­der­ing feet as­tray;
At morn and eve Thy ra­di­ance pour
That youth may love, and age adore.

O Way, through whom our souls draw near
To yon eter­nal home of peace,
Where per­fect love shall cast our fear,
And earth’s vain toil and wan­der­ing cease;
In strength or weak­ness may we see
Our hea­ven­ward path, O Lord, through Thee.

O Truth, be­fore whose shrine we bow,
Thou price­less Pearl for all who seek,
To Thee our ear­li­est strength we vow,
Thy love will bless the pure and meek;
When dreams or mists be­guile our sight,
Turn Thou our dark­ness into light.

O Life, the well that ev­er flows
To slake the thirst of those that faint,
Thy pow­er to bless what se­raph knows?
Thy joy su­preme what words can paint?
In earth’s last hour of fleet­ing breath
Be Thou our con­quer­or over death.

O Light, O Way, O Truth, O Life,
O Je­sus, born man­kind to save,
Give Thou Thy peace in dead­li­est strife,
Shed Thou Thy calm on stor­mi­est wave;
Be Thou our hope, our joy, our dread,
Lord of the liv­ing and the dead.