Light Dawning Upon the Soul

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Out of the depths of woe

Author: James Montgomery
Published in 68 hymnals

Representative Text

Out of the depths of woe,
To Thee, O Lord, I cry;
Darkness surrounds Thee, but I know
That Thou art ever nigh.

Like them whose longing eyes
Watch till the morning star,
Though late and seen through tempests, rise,
Heaven’s portals to unbar,—

Like them I watch and pray;
And though it tarry long,
Catch the first gleam of welcome day
Then burst into a song.

Glory to God above!
The waters soon will cease;
For lo, the swift returning dove
Brings home the sign of peace.

Though storms Thy face obscure,
And dangers threaten loud,
Thy holy covenant is sure;
Thy bow is in the cloud!

Source: A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) #547

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Author: James Montgomery

James Montgomery (b. Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, 1771; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1854), the son of Moravian parents who died on a West Indies mission field while he was in boarding school, Montgomery inherited a strong religious bent, a passion for missions, and an independent mind. He was editor of the Sheffield Iris (1796-1827), a newspaper that sometimes espoused radical causes. Montgomery was imprisoned briefly when he printed a song that celebrated the fall of the Bastille and again when he described a riot in Sheffield that reflected unfavorably on a military commander. He also protested against slavery, the lot of boy chimney sweeps, and lotteries. Associated with Christians of various persuasions, Montgomery supported missio… Go to person page >

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