Scripture Verse

Where is the way to the dwelling of light? Job 38:19

Introduction

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Eugene Field (1850–1895)

Words: Eu­gene Field, 1889.

Music: Pen­i­el Jo­si­ah Booth, 1888 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Josiah Booth (1852–1929)

Origin of the Hymn

The his­to­ry of this hymn is set forth in the fol­low­ing let­ter from Dr. [Mel­anc­thon] Stryker to the Rev. Dr. [Lou­is] Ben­son of Phi­la­del­phia [Penn­syl­van­ia] in an­swer to an en­qui­ry re­spect­ing it:—

The hymn was giv­en me in 1889 in au­to­graph by Eu­gene Field, whom in Chi­ca­go [Il­li­nois] I knew well. He wrote it a lit­tle be­fore Christ­mas. Prob­ab­ly it ap­peared in the Chi­ca­go News, in the Sharps and Flats col­umn. I know that he ex­pand­ed it in­to the verse you name. As it is in my book it is un­mod­if­ied by a word from the co­py gi­ven to me. I seized it at once for a hymn. Clin­ton, [New York] Oct. 1905.

This orig­in­al text is No. 73, in 4 stan­zas of 6 lines, in Dr. Stryker’s Col­lege Hym­nal, N.Y., 1897. The ex­pand­ed text is, As I was go­ing to Beth­lem-town.

Julian, p. 1712

Lyrics

There burns a star o’er Beth­le­hem town,
And glo­ri­ous­ly it beam­eth down
Upon a vir­gin mo­ther meek,
And Him whom so­lemn Ma­gi seek.
Burn on, O star! and be the light
To guide us all to Him this night!

The an­gels walk in Beth­le­hem town—
The an­gels come and bring a crown
To Him, our Sav­ior and our king,
And sweet­ly all this night they sing.
Sing on in rap­ture, an­gel throng!
That we may learn that hea­ven­ly song!

Near Beth­le­hem town there blooms a tree,
And it shall stand on Cal­va­ry!
But from the shade there­of we turn
Unto the star that still shall burn,
When Christ is dead and ris’n again,
To mind us that He died for men.

There is a cry in Beth­le­hem town!
’Tis of the Babe that wears the crown.
It tell­eth us that man is free—
That He re­deem­eth all and me!
The night is sped—be­hold the morn!
Sing, O my soul, the Christ is born!