Light For those Who Sit In Darkness

Representative Text

1 Though now the nations sit beneath
The darkness of o'erspreading death,
God will arise, with light divine
On Zion's holy towers to shine.

2 That light shall shine on distant lands,
And wandering tribes, in joyful bands,
Shall come thy glory, Lord, to see,
And in thy courts to worship thee.

3 O light of Zion, now arise!
Let the glad morning bless our eyes!
Ye nations, catch the kindling ray,
And hail the splendor of the day.

Source: Laudes Domini: a selection of spiritual songs, ancient and modern for use in the prayer-meeting #518

Author: Leonard Bacon

Leonard Bacon, D.D., was born in Detroit (where his father was a missionary to the Indians), February 19, 1802, and educated at Yale college and at Andover. In 1825 he was ordained Pastor of the Centre Church, New Haven, and retained that charge until 1866, when he was appointed Professor of Theology in Yale Divinity School. This professorship he resigned in 1871; but till his death in 1881, he was Lecturer on Church Polity. He died December 23, 1881. Dr. Bacon rendered important service to hymnology both as writer and compiler. While a student at Andover, he edited an important and now rare tract entitled Hymns and Sacred Songs for the Monthly Concert [of Prayer for Missions], Andover, September 1823. This contained the three hymns fo… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Though now the nations sit beneath
Title: Light For those Who Sit In Darkness
Author: Leonard Bacon
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

  • Though now the nations sit beneath. Missions. This is based on a hymn by Sarah Slinn, "Arise in all Thy splendour, Lord" (q.v.), which Dr. Bacon had partly rewritten for his Andover Tract. In the Appendix to Dwight he substituted new verses for what remained of her's in the Tract, and then justly claimed the whole as his own.

    --Excerpt from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

  • Tune

    MENDON (17151)


    BOYLSTON


    HAMBURG

    Lowell Mason (PHH 96) composed HAMBURG (named after the German city) in 1824. The tune was published in the 1825 edition of Mason's Handel and Haydn Society Collection of Church Music. Mason indicated that the tune was based on a chant in the first Gregorian tone. HAMBURG is a very simple tune with…

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