Scripture Verse

I am the light of the world. John 8:12

Introduction

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems 1739.

Music: An­gels’ Song Or­lan­do Gib­bons (1583–1625) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

  • St. Alk­mund Ea­sy Mu­sic for Church Choirs, 1853 (🔊 pdf nwc)
portrait
Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625)

George El­iot makes Di­nah Mor­ris sing this hymn as she sweeps and dusts the room in which Ad­am Bede had been writ­ing the night be­fore.

‘She op­ened the win­dow and let in the fresh morn­ing air, and the smell of the sweet­bri­ar, and the bright low-slant­ing rays of the ear­ly sun, which made a glo­ry about her pale face and pale au­burn hair as she held the long brush, and swept, sing­ing to her­self in a ve­ry low tone—like a sweet sum­mer mur­mur that you have to list­en for ve­ry close­ly—one of Charles Wes­ley’s hymns, Eter­nal Beam of light di­vine.

Telford, p. 292

Lyrics

Eternal beam of light di­vine,
Fountain of un­ex­haust­ed love,
In whom the Fa­ther’s glo­ries shine
Through earth be­neath, and Hea­ven above;

Jesu, the wea­ry wan­der­er’s rest,
Give me Thy ea­sy yoke to bear,
With stead­fast pa­tience arm my breast,
With spot­less love, and low­ly fear.

Thankful I take the cup from Thee,
Prepared and min­gled by Thy skill,
Though bit­ter to the taste it be,
Powerful the wound­ed soul to heal.

Be Thou, O Rock of ag­es, nigh!
So shall each mur­mur­ing thought be gone,
And grief, and fear, and care, shall fly,
As clouds be­fore the mid-day sun.

Speak to my war­ring pas­sions, Peace!
Say to my trem­bling heart, Be still!
Thy pow­er my strength and fort­ress is,
For all things serve Thy so­ve­reign will.

O death! where is thy sting? Where now
Thy boast­ed vic­to­ry, O grave?
Who shall con­tend with God? or who
Can hurt whom God de­lights to save?