Walk in the Light

Representative Text

1 Walk in the light! so shalt thou know
That fellowship of love
His Spirit only can bestow,
Who reigns in light above.

2 Walk in the light! and thou shalt find
Thy heart made truly His,
Who dwells in cloudless light enshrined,
In whom no darkness is.

3 Walk in the light! and thou shalt own
Thy darkness passed away,
Because that light hath on thee shone,
In which is perfect day.

4 Walk in the light! and thine shall be
A path, though thorny, bright:
For God, by grace, shall dwell in thee,
And God Himself is light.

Source: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #524

Author: Bernard Barton

Barton, Bernard, commonly known as the "Quaker Poet," was born in London Jan. 31, 1784, and educated at a Quaker school at Ipswich. In 1798 he was apprenticed to Mr. S. Jesup, a shopkeeper at Halstead, Essex, with whom he remained until 1806, when he removed to Woodbridge, Suffolk, and entered into business with his brother, as a coal and corn merchant. On the death of his wife at the end of the first year of their married life, he proceeded to Liverpool, where he acted as a private tutor for a short time. He returned to Woodbridge in 1810, where he secured an engagement in the local bank of the Messrs. Alexander. This appointment he held for 40 years. He died at Woodbridge, Feb. 19, 1849. During the same year his daughter published his Poe… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Walk in the light: so shalt thou know
Title: Walk in the Light
Author: Bernard Barton
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Walk in the light, Walk in the light
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Walk in the light! So shalt thou know. B. Barton. [Walk in the light]. Appeared in his Devotional Verses, 1826, p. 242, 6 stanzas of 4 lines, with the quoted text I. John, i. 7. In various collections the opening line is altered to "Walk in the light and thou shalt know," and st. ii. is omitted. The form in The Baptist Church Hymnal, 1900, begins with st. iv., "Walk in the light! and thou shalt own." The order is st. iv., ii., iii., i., v. and vi. rewritten. We feel that very few editors will follow this arrangement and doubtful improvement of the author's text.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Tune

MANOAH (Greatorex)

MANOAH was first published in Henry W. Greatorex's Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes (1851). This anthology (later editions had alternate titles) contained one of the best tune collections of its era and included thirty-seven original compositions and arrangements by compiler Greatorex as well as m…

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Instances

Instances (1 - 13 of 13)
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African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #524

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #443

Great Songs of the Church (Revised) #625

Hymns of the Saints #303

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Sacred Selections for the Church #181

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The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #485

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #7112

Text

Worship in Song #253

Hymns of the Christian Life #281

Hymns and Psalms #464

Text

The Song Book of the Salvation Army #465

Welsh and English Hymns and Anthems #95a

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Worship and Service Hymnal #280

Include 458 pre-1979 instances
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