Let the Lower Lights Be Burning

Representative Text

1 Brightly beams our Father’s mercy
From His lighthouse evermore;
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

Refrain:
Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

2 Dark the night of sin has settled,
Loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore. [Refrain]

3 Trim your feeble lamp, my brother!
Some poor seaman, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost. [Refrain]

Source: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #267

Author: P. P. Bliss

Philip P. Bliss (b. Clearfield County, PA, 1838; d. Ashtabula, OH, 1876) left home as a young boy to make a living by working on farms and in lumber camps, all while trying to continue his schooling. He was converted at a revival meeting at age twelve. Bliss became an itinerant music teacher, making house calls on horseback during the winter, and during the summer attending the Normal Academy of Music in Genesco, New York. His first song was published in 1864, and in 1868 Dwight L. Moody advised him to become a singing evangelist. For the last two years of his life Bliss traveled with Major D. W. Whittle and led the music at revival meetings in the Midwest and Southern United States. Bliss and Ira D. Sankey published a popular series of hym… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Brightly beams our Father's mercy
Title: Let the Lower Lights Be Burning
Author: P. P. Bliss (1871)
Meter: 8.7.8.7 with refrain
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Let the lower lights be burning
Notes: Arabic translation: See "إنهضوا يا مؤمنونا" by خليل عساف بشارة; German translation: See "Herrlich strahlt des Vater's gnade", "Leuchtend strahlt des Vater's gnade" by Anna von Weling and Georg von Viebahn, "Lichthell strahlt des ew'gen Gnade" by William Horn, "Lichthell strahlt des Meisters gnade", "Prächtig strahlt des Meister's gnade" by G. Golder, "Seht wie Jesu Gnadenfeuer" by Ernst Gebhardt; Spanish translation: See "Brillan rayos de clemencia", "Esparcid la luz de Cristo" by M. A. Lezcano, "La merced de nuestro Padre"; Swedish translation: See "Evigt stråler Fadern's karlek"; Tagalog translation: See "Ti ayat ti Dios agraniag"
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #3661
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (401 - 500 of 541)
Page Scan

Tabernacle Praises No. 1 #43

Tabernacle Revivalist #d17

Temple Echoes #69

Thankful Hearts #59

The A. M. E. Zion Hymnal #238

TextPage Scan

The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #670

Page Scan

The Abingdon Song Book #86

The Advent Christian Hymnal #d50

The Advent Christian Hymnal. Rev. #d36

The American Hymnal for English Speaking People Everywhere #d31

Page Scan

The Army and Navy Hymnal #139

Page Scan

The Baptist Standard Hymnal #555

The Best Loved Hymns and Prayers of the American People #274a

The Book of Common Praise #d66

The Book of Hymns #d68

The Boy's Hymnal #d10

Page Scan

The Broadman Hymnal #262

The Campers Hymnal, Songs for the Out-of-Doors #d14

Page Scan

The Century Hymnal #283

The Charm #d6

The Christian Life Hymnal #357

The Church Hymnal #d52

Page Scan

The Church Hymnal #628

Page Scan

The Church School Hymnal #211

Page Scan

The Church School Hymnal for Youth #292

Page Scan

The Cokesbury Hymnal #97

Page Scan

The Cokesbury Worship Hymnal #100

The Covenant Hymnal, authorized by the Swedish Evangelical Mission Covenant of America #d37

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #3661

The Dominion Hymnal #95

The Evangelical Church School Hymnal #d27

Page Scan

The Evangelical Hymnal #374

Page Scan

The Gospel in Song #181

Page Scan

The Gospel in Song #7

Page Scan

The Gospel Message No. 3 #69

Page Scan

The Great Awakening #123

Page Scan

The Greatest Hymns #271

The Herald #148

The Highway Hymnal #d39

Page Scan

The Hymn Book of the African Methodist Episcopal Church #1085

The Hymnal #327

Page Scan

The Hymnal for Young People #238

The Hymnal for Youth #206

The Hymnal of the Evangelical Mission Covenant Church of America #451

TextPage Scan

The Hymnal of The Evangelical United Brethren Church #290

The Hymnal, a Collection of Gospel Songs and Hymns #d32

The Hymnal #438

Page Scan

The King of Glory #89

Page Scan

The King of Kings #169

The King's Praises No. 3 #d18

Page Scan

The Kingdom of Praise #149

The Lighthouse in Gospel Song #d18

The Majestic Hymnal, number two #194

Page Scan

The Message in Song #126

The Message in Song Nos. 1 & 2 #d21

The Methodist Hymn-Book with Tunes #582

The Methodist Hymnal #d68

The Methodist Hymnal #254

Page Scan

The Mission Hymnal #31

Page Scan

The Mission Hymnal. (Enlarged Edition) #31

Page Scan

The Modern Hymnal #171

Page Scan

The Most Popular Hymns #48

The New Alphabetical Hymnal #d47

Text

The New Church Hymnal #223

Page Scan

The New Church Hymnal #399

Page Scan

The New Cokesbury Hymnal #152

Page Scan

The New Gospel Song Book #95

The New Hymnal for American Youth #253

The New Hymnal for American Youth #253

Page Scan

The New Make Christ King #112

Page Scan

The New National Baptist Hymnal #257

TextPage Scan

The New National Baptist Hymnal (21st Century Edition) #419

TextPage Scan

The New Wonderful Songs for Work and Worship #145

The Northfield Hymnal #4 #d29

The Pilot #d23

Page Scan

The Popular Hymnal #103

The Presbyterian Hymnal #316

Page Scan

The Revival No. 6 #151

The Saints' Hymnal #d42

Page Scan

The Salvation Army Songs and Music #223

The Selah Song Book (Das Sela Gesangbuch) #d74

Page Scan

The Selah Song Book (Das Sela Gesangbuch) (2nd ed) #667a

The Selah Song Book. Word ed. #d39

Page Scan

The Service Hymnal #447

Page Scan

The Service Song Book #131

Page Scan

The Sheet Music of Heaven (Spiritual Song) #157

Page Scan

The Sheet Music of Heaven (Spiritual Song) #157

The Song Book of the Salvation Army #432

Text

The Song Book of the Salvation Army #478

Page Scan

The Songs of Zion #264

The Stirling Three Hundred #244

Page Scan

The Tabernacle Hymns #165

Page Scan

The Voice of Thanksgiving #66

Page Scan

The Voice of Thanksgiving No. 2 #66

Page Scan

The Voice of Thanksgiving No. 3 #66

Page Scan

The Voice of Thanksgiving No. 4 #103

The Voice of Thanksgiving No. 5 #257

The Young People's Church of the Air Hymn Book #d12

Pages

Exclude 522 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us