Nighttime is full of darkness, yet when the dawn comes the light appears. J. J. Thorne uses the analogy of the night and morning star to point out that following Jesus is like coming out of the darkness and into the light. Jesus is the truth and the way.
God sets above in his heavenly throne,
In him our power lie;
We die in darkness, the truth unknown,
Without it is sent down from the sky.
God, the Father, Christ the Son,
Grace, power and glory, the holy ghost;
It quickens. the soul, shoes all as one,
In nature the poor soul were lost.
Divine knowledge, truth and understanding,
We learn by the Savior's revealing love,
He in spirit, the truth and light,
Brings it down from the throne above.
All hidden in Jesus far above,
Sin and darkness upon the land;
Nothing known but by his love,
When he opens the heart to understand.
In Jesus lies the truth and grace,
He wroughts it into the heart of man.
To proclaim his power to a dying race,
Of whom he loves to understand.
He reveals his power in the sinner's heart,
Showing that nothing good in man,
Gives whom he will the gospel to impart,
That the meek and lowly may understand.
He lifts the sinner out of darkness,
Into the pulpit to bless his name.
He gives him knowledge and words his tongue,
The only tongue that can preach his fame.
He opens the scripture to the blind sinner.
Showing no faith and power is ours,
He makes man an instrument.
To explain and preach divine powers.
Where his servants assembles to preach,
The hungry and thirsty throngs,
There they are fed with the gospel
And heavenly music in their songs.
No man can hear the gospel,
Neither the melody of the gospel song:
But he that have fed of the spirit.
And learned that he was wrong.
The gospel preacher proclaims Jesus,
The truth, the way and the light;
Jesus in spirit only knows by revelation
Who else can preach him right.
Others preach there faith and doctrine,
The things they think they understand;
The end thereof is death, says the Bible,
The way that seemeth right to man.
'Tis grace that makes a will to do,
'Tis grace that teaches the heart to fear;
'Tis grace that plants the knowledge of the truth,
An understanding heart and ear.
The sinner that grace calls to preach,
Grace dictates and words imparts;
Jesus gave his disciples the gospel to teach,
Through revelation in their hearts.
Carnal belief of the scripture.
Is but a wandering road to trod;
When the day star rises and opens the scripture.
It opens our eyes to the word of God.
Man in nature thinks he knows,
And is but sin and dust of the sod;
When the day star rises in the heart's repose,
We see that it all lies with God.
