Scripture Verse

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Isaiah 9:2

Introduction

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Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Words: Is­aac Watts, Hymns and Spir­it­ual Songs 1707, Book 1, num­ber 48. The four stan­zas be­gin­ning My sor­rows like a flood have al­so been pub­lished sep­ar­ate­ly as a cen­to.

Music: Clegg Hen­ry Cow­ard, in The Pri­mi­tive Me­tho­dist Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by George Booth (Lon­don: Pri­mi­tive Me­tho­dist Pub­lish­ing House, 1889), num­ber 221 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

  • Reviving Light in Har­mon­ia Sac­ra, by Jo­seph Funk (1778–1862) (🔊 pdf nwc) (re­peats last line of each verse)
  • St. John (Gre­gory) W. Greg­ory, in The Pri­mi­tive Me­tho­dist Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by George Booth (Lon­don: Pri­mi­tive Me­tho­dist Pub­lish­ing House, 1889), num­ber 221 (🔊 pdf nwc)
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Henry Coward (1849–1944)

Lyrics

How hea­vy is the night
That hangs up­on our eyes,
Till Christ, with His re­viv­ing light,
Over our souls arise!

Our guil­ty spir­its dread
To meet the wrath of Heav­en:
But in His right­eous­ness ar­rayed,
We see our sins for­giv­en.

Unholy and im­pure
Are all our thoughts and ways;
His hands in­fect­ed na­ture cure
With sanc­ti­fy­ing grace.

The pow­ers of hell agree
To hold our souls in vain;
He sets the sons of bond­age free,
And breaks th’ac­curs­èd chain.

Lord, we ad­ore Thy ways
To bring us near to God;
Thy so­ver­eign power, Thy heal­ing grace,
And Thine aton­ing blood.