Scripture Verse

Keep your lamps burning. Luke 12:35

Introduction

Words: Phi­lip P. Bliss, The Charm (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Root & Ca­dy, 1871), num­ber 14.

Music: Ith­a­ca Phi­lip P. Bliss, 1871 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Philip P. Bliss (1838–1876)

On a dark, stor­my, night, when the waves rolled like moun­tains, and not a star was to be seen, a boat, rock­ing and plung­ing, neared the Cleve­land har­bor.

Are you sure this is Cleve­land? asked the cap­tain, see­ing on­ly one light from the light-house.

Quite sure, sir, re­plied the pi­lot.

Where are the low­er lights?

Gone out, sir.

Can you make the har­bor?

We must, or per­ish, sir!

And with a strong hand and a brave heart, the old pi­lot turned the wheel. But al­as, in the dark­ness he mis­sed the chan­nel, and with a crash up­on the rocks the boat was shiv­ered, and ma­ny a life lost in a wa­te­ry grave.

Brethren, the Mas­ter will take care of the great light-house: let us keep the low­er lights burn­ing!

D. L. Moody

Philip P. Bliss, The Charm 1871

Lyrics

Brightly beams our Fa­ther’s mer­cy from His light­house ev­er­more,
But to us He gives the keep­ing of the lights along the shore.
Let the lower lights be burn­ing! Send a gleam across the wave!
For to us He gives the keep­ing of the lights along the shore.
[or Some poor strugg­ling, sink­ing sail­or you may res­cue, you may save.]

Dark the night of sin has sett­led, loud the ang­ry bil­lows roar;
Eager eyes are watch­ing, long­ing for the lights, along the shore.
Let the lower lights be burn­ing! Send a gleam across the wave!
Eager eyes are watch­ing, long­ing for the lights, along the shore.

Trim your feeble lamp, my bro­ther, some poor sail­or tem­pest tossed,
Trying now to make the ha­rbor, in the dark­ness may be lost.
Let the lower lights be burn­ing! Send a gleam across the wave!
Trying now to make the har­bor, some poor sail­or may be lost.

illustration
Izumo Hinomisaki, Japan