Scripture Verse

O send out Thy light and Thy truth. Psalm 43:3

Introduction

portrait
John H. Alleman (1859–1938)

Words: J. M. Paul­ding, 1893.

Music: An­ta­na­na­ri­vo John H. Al­le­man (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Paul­ding’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Turn on the search­light, oh, let its bright ray
Come flash­ing and gleam­ing across the dark wave;
Turn on the search­light, and let it be­tray
The dark­ness of sin and God’s pow­er to save.

Refrain

Turn on the search­light, oh, may it dis­close
Some life be­ing lost on the bil­lows of sin;
Yes, turn on the search­light, oh, who is it knows,
Some heart may be op­en His light to let in.

Turn on the search­light, flash deep in the soul,
That care­less­ly drifts t’ward the dan­ger­ous bar;
Turn on the search­light where dark­ly doth roll
The break­ers whose dash­ing we hear from afar.

Refrain

Turn on the search­light, oh, let its bright eye
Pierce e’en to the depths of thy in­ner­most soul;
Turn on the search­light, oh, heed you the cry,
Ere some one is lost on that dan­ger­ous shoal.

Refrain