The poem is a call to "let the lower lights be burning" along the shore to help guide struggling seamen during dark and stormy nights. It describes the mercy and light from God that shines like a lighthouse, but asks humans to play a role in keeping lights lit along the coast to rescue those who are fainting and struggling on rough seas, trying to make it to harbor, and may otherwise be lost in the darkness without the guiding lights.

1. Let The Lower Lights
Be Burning

2. Brightly beams our Father’s
mercy,
From His lighthouse
evermore,
But to us He gives the
keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

3. Let the lower lights be
burning!
Send a gleam across the
wave!
Some poor fainting,
struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may
save.

4. Dark the night of sin has
settled,
Loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching,
longing,
For the lights along the
shore.

5. Let the lower lights be
burning!
Send a gleam across the
wave!
Some poor fainting,
struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may
save.

6. Trim your feeble lamp, my
brother;
Some poor sailor, tempest-
tossed,
Trying now to make the
harbor,
In the darkness may be lost.

7. Let the lower lights be
burning!
Send a gleam across the
wave!
Some poor fainting,
struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may
save.