Light of the World

Representative Text

1 We now arise, the light is come,
The glory of the Lord appears;
No more in darkness may we roam,
Expos'd to guilt and many fears.

2 The day spring glorious from on high,
Beams forth in brightness all divine;
Our nightly fears and troubles die,
Whilst we in perfect beauty shine.

3 The Godhead's glory rising bright
On us, in Christ the heav'nly man,
Declares us perfect in his sight,
Whilst we admire the gracious plan.

4 What e'er we lost, we here regain;
The end of all our toil is come,
Nor sin, nor curse, doth now remain,
We rest in God our native home.

5 There in our nature greatly blest,
And purg'd from ev'ry ill, thro' blood,
Our conscience finds eternal rest,
And answers peacefully to God.

Source: Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs: selected and original, designed for the use of the Church Universal in public and private devotion #CCXXVI

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Author: James Relly

James Relly was born about 1722 at Jeffreston, Pembrokeshire, Wales, and died in 1778. He was converted to Christianity during the Great Awakening ushered in by George Whitefield. He worked under George Whitefield as a Calvinistic Methodist preacher and missionary. However, Whitefield and Relly separated ways over Relly's seemingly universalist teaching that all humanity was elect (i.e. saved) when Christ took the punishment for all sin when he died. He also departed from both the Calvinists and Methodists by taking the doctrine of Justification further, in teaching that believers no longer sin and the Law's sole purpose is to condemn humanity and point them to Christ. He was the mentor of John Murray, the founder of the Universalist Ch… Go to person page >

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