The people who in darkness walked

Authors:
Themes:
Scriptures:
  • Exodus 15:18
  • Job 3:5
  • Isaiah 9:2-7
  • Jeremiah 23:5
  • Malachi 4:2
  • Matthew 28:18-20
  • Matthew 4:16
  • Luke 1:33
  • Luke 1:78-79
  • John 1:4-5
  • John 1:9
  • John 3:19-21
  • John 3:35
  • John 4:35-36
  • John 9:5
  • Ephesians 2:13-14
  • Ephesians 5:8-14
Book Number:
  • 375

The people who in darkness walked
have seen a glorious light:
that light shines out on those who lived
in shadows of the night.

2. To greet you, Sun of righteousness,
the gathering nations come;
rejoicing as when reapers bring
their harvest treasures home.

3. For now to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and on his shoulder ever rests
all power in earth and heaven.

4. His name shall be the Prince of peace,
eternally adored;
most wonderful of counsellors,
the great and mighty Lord.

5. His peace and righteous government
shall over all extend;
on judgement and on justice based,
his reign shall never end.

© In this version Jubilate Hymns This is an unaltered JUBILATE text. Other JUBILATE texts can be found at www.jubilate.co.uk
John Morison 1750-98

The Son - His Birth and Childhood

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Tune

  • Kilmarnock
    Kilmarnock
    Metre:
    • CM (Common Metre: 86 86)
    Composer:
    • Dougall, Neil

The story behind the hymn

Many Christians associate the public reading of Isaiah 9.2–7 with the celebration of Christmas, but although this hymn is a paraphrase of those vv it does not often find a place in carol services. The prophet’s words are quoted in Matthew 4 and echoed in Luke 1; J Alec Motyer says of them ‘It belonged to the prophetic consciousness of men like Isaiah to cast themselves forward in time and then look back on the mighty acts of God, saying to us, “Look forward to it, it is certain, he has already done it!

A look at the author

Morison, John

b Cairnie, nr Huntly, Aberdeenshire 1750, d Canisbay, nr John O’Groats, Caithness (Highland) 1798. King’s Coll, Univ of Aberdeen (MA 1771). After teaching in a number of Caithness schools he proceeded to further study in Edinburgh, notably of Gk, and was ordained (CofS) in 1780 and appointed minister at Canisbay in the far N of Scotland. remaining there until his death in his 49th year. He contributed verse to the Edinburgh Weekly Magazine over the pen-name ‘Musaeus’. 7 of his 24 metrical Scripture paraphrases offered to the Scottish assembly’s editorial committee proved acceptable; its members had been selected in order to revise the limited and unsatisfactory 1745 Translations and Paraphrases, and after this he was invited to join them. The revision, in distinctly Reformed mode, eventually appeared in 1781. No.375.