LEAD KINDLY LIGHT
Lead
Kindly Light Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!
So long Thy power hath blest me; sure it still will lead me on.
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I
Have loved long since, and lost awhile!
Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
in the calm light of everlasting life.
Dear friends I would like to bring a famous Christian hymnal
sung and loved by the Christians.
From 19th c itself is greatly adored and love to
sing in the sick bed and in troubles and trials. Lead kindly light is a hymn
with words written in 1833 by John Henry Newman as a poem titled “the pillar of
cloud” The fourth verse added by Edward. Bickersteth.Jr. It is usually sung to
the tune Lux Benign, composed by John Bacchus in 1865; or to Alberta, by
William H. Harris. A mixed choir setting was also composed by Nottingham based
composer Alex patherson.
Lead kindly light hymn is written on the bases of Psalms
119:105:- Your word is a lamp to my feet. John h. Newman was the son of London
banker, born in 1801 on 21st February. He Was French on his mother’s side and the
early religious influences which formed him were Calvinistic. He says of his
childhood; I thought life must be a dream or I an angel; and all the world a
deception, my fellow angels by a playful device concealing themselves from the
deceiving me with semblance of a
material world. When he went to Trinity College, oxford in1817 he was deeply
religious.
On the age of 15th year he got the salvation experience and
learned the Bible and philosophy. On the age of 19th year he joined
Oxford University and became graduated. After four years he became a priest in Church
of England and became a famous preacher and orator. He was doing ministry very
enthusiastically, in the mean time; he was affected by some sickness on the age
of 32. On those days the spiritual life of the Church of England went low and
faced other problems and calamities. So he wanted to relinquish himself and get
more challenges he traveled to the European countries.
Not only did Newman came to contact with Roman Catholicism [
from which he reacted] but he began to see
the need of the Anglican church for an enthusiastic movement which
should awaken it to vanished glory. As a young priest John Newman became sick
while in Italy and was unable to travel almost three weeks. Before he was
starting from his inn, he sat down on his bed and began to sob bitterly. His
servant, who had acted as a nurse, asked him what ailed him. He could answer he
had a work to do in England. He was
aching to get to home yet for want of a vessel. He was kept at Palermo for
three weeks. He began to visit the churches and they claimed his impatience,
though he did not attend any services. At last he got off in an orange boat
bounded for Marseille. They were being calmed for the whole week in the straits
of Bonifacio and it was there that he wrote the hymn lines Lead kindly light.
In 1833, on 16th June by the guidance of God he wrote this hymn. He
wanted God to lead his life and ministry and future like how he led the
Israelites in the wilderness.
The first stanza explained about the vessel could not lead
forward, because of any wind. The second stanza explains about his youth life
and experiences. The last two lines shows about how he was suffering because
last his friends and dear ones. After then he to England and did ministry more
effectively. After this event he joined Catholic Church and ministered in the
church and the Pope Leo gave cardinal awarded in the Catholic Church in 1879.
Dear friends this song was very much liked by Gandhi, the
father of nation. This song consoled many people who were in sick bed and
loneliness and other problems. The lord, who is able, will lead and guide us,
in the darkness of our life. Let the
light of Jesus will shine in our darkest day to bring happiness and joy in our
life journey. If you are blessed by this article kindly introduce to your friends
and relatives and let me know your comments send to my email ID. revsjc@gmail.com, revsjc12@hotmail.com, johnchelliah484@yahoo.com.
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