4 Lord, Thy commands are clean and pure,
Enlightening our beclouded eyes;
Thy threatenings just, Thy promise sure,
Thy gospel makes the simple wise.
5 Give me Thy counsels for my guide,
And then receive me to Thy bliss;
All my desires and hopes beside
Are faint and cold compared with this.
172 "I pray before Thee.. day and night.”
1 MY God, how endless is Thy love!
Thy gifts are every evening new
And morning mercies from above,
Gently distil like early dew.
2 Thou spread'st the curtains of the night,
Great Guardian of my sleeping hours;
Thy sovereign word restores the light,
And quickens all my drowsy powers.
3 I yield my powers to Thy command,
To Thee I consecrate my days!
Perpetual blessings from Thy hand
Demand perpetual songs of praise.
"Evening and morning.. will I pray."
PSALM 1V. 17.
1 LORD, to Thee I lift mine eyes,
Hands and heart I lift to Thee;
Let my prayer accepted rise,
Weak, imperfect, though it be.
2 Teach me, Lord, Thy name to know;
Teach me, Lord, Thy name to love;
May I do Thy will below,
As Thy will is done above.
3 When I lay me down at night,
O'er me watch, and near me stay;
And, when morning brings the light,
May I wake to praise and pray.
"Free offerings every morning."
EXOD. XXXVi, 3.
AUTHOR of life, with grateful heart
My early song I'll raise;
But 0, Thy thousand, thousand gifts
Exceed my highest praise!
2 Sustained by Thee, my opening eyes
Salute the morning light;
Secure I stand, unhurt by all
The dangers of the night.
3 My life renewed, my strength repaired,
To Thee, my God, are due:
Teach me Thy ways, and give me grace,
My duty to pursue.
4 From every ill, this day defend,
But guard me most from sin;
Direct my going out, O Lord,
And bless my coming in.
5 O may Thy holy fear command
Each action, thought, and word!
Then shall I sweetly close the day,
Approved of Thee, my Lord.
"The dove came in to him in the evening."
GEN. viii. 11.
FATHER, in high heaven dwelling,
May our evening song be telling
Of Thy mercy large and free:
Through the day, Thy love hath fed us,
Through the day, Thy care hath led us,
With divinest charity.
2 This day's sins, O pardon, Saviour;
Evil thoughts, perverse behaviour,
Envy, pride, and vanity:
From the world, the flesh deliver,
Save us now, and save us ever,
O Thou Lamb of Calvary !
3 From enticements of the Devil,
From the might of spirits evil,
Be our shield and panoply;
Let Thy power this night defend us,
And a heavenly peace attend us,
With angelic company.
4 While the night dews are distilling,
Holy Ghost, each heart be filling
With Thine own serenity;
Softly while the eyes be closing,
While on Thee the soul reposing,
Ever-blessed Trinity.
THRO the day, Thy love hath spared us;
Wearied, we lie down to rest;
Through the silent watches guard us,
Let no foe our peace molest:
Saviour, Thou our Guardian be,-
Sweet it is to trust in Thee!
2 Pilgrims, here on earth, and strangers,
Dwelling in the midst of foes,
Us, and ours, preserve from dangers:
In Thy arms may we repose:
And, when life's short day is past,
Rest with Thee, in heaven at last.
"The God of.. peace shall be with you."
ATHER of love and power,
Guard Thou our evening hour,
Shield with Thy might.
For all Thy care this day
Our grateful thanks we pay,
And to our Father pray,-
Bless us to-night.
2 Jesus Immanuel,
Come in Thy love to dwell
In hearts contrite;
For many sins we grieve,
But we Thy grace receive,
And in Thy word believe :-
Bless us to-night.
3 Spirit of truth and love,
Life-giving, holy Dove,
Shed forth Thy light;
Heal every sinner's smart,
Still every throbbing heart,
And Thine own peace impart :-
Bless us to-night.
"Prayer.. as the evening sacrifice."
PSALM CXli. 2.
NOW, from the altar of our hearts,
Let flames of love arise;
Assist us, Lord, to offer up
Our evening sacrifice!
2 Awake our love, awake our joy,
Awake our heart and tongue :
Sleep not, when mercies loudly call,-
Break forth into a song.
3 Minutes and mercies multiplied,
Have made up all this day:
Minutes came quick, but mercies were
More fleet and free than they.
4 New time, new favours, and new joys,
Do a new song require:
Till we shall praise Thee as we would,
Accept our hearts' desire.
"Are they not all ministering spirits ?"
HEB. i, 14.
INSPIRER and hearer of prayer,
Thou Shepherd and Guardian of Thine, May all to Thy covenant care
I, sleeping and waking, resign.
If Thou art my Shield and my Sun,
The night is no darkness to me;
And, fast as my moments roll on,
They bring me but nearer to Thee.
2 Thy ministering spirits descend,
To watch while Thy saints are asleep;
By day, and by night, they attend,
The heirs of salvation to keep :
Bright seraphs, despatched from the throne
Repair to their stations assigned;
And angels elect are sent down,
To guard the elect of mankind.
3 Thy worship no interval knows :
Their fervour is still on the wing;
And, while they protect my repose,
They chant to the praise of my King
I, too, at the season ordained,
Their chorus for ever shall join;
And love, and adore, without end,
Their faithful Creator and mine.
"The offering of the evening sacrifice."
1 KINGS Xviii. 36.
GLORY to Thee, my God, this night,
For all the blessings of the light!
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Beneath Thine own almighty wings!
2 Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done;
That, with the world, myself, and Thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.
3 Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed;
Teach me to die, that so I may
Rise glorious at the judgment day.
4 O may my soul on Thee repose;
And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close:-
Sleep, that may me more vigorous make,
To serve my God when I awake.
5 When in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest.
Praise God, &c. (As at 115.)
"There shall no evil befall thee."
PSALM Xci. 10.
SAVIOUR, breathe an evening blessing,
Ere repose our spirits seal,
Sin and want we come confessing:
Thou canst save, and Thou canst heal. 2 Though destruction walk around us Though the arrows past us fly,
Angel guards from Thee surround us:
We are safe if Thou art nigh.
3 Though the night be dark and dreary,
Darkness cannot hide from Thee;
Thou art He, who never weary,
Watchest where Thy people be.
4 Should swift death this night o'ertake us, And our couch become our tomb,
May the morn in heaven awake us,
Clad in bright and deathless bloom!
"That day was the preparation."
BEGONE, my worldly cares, away,
Nor dare to tempt my sight!
Let me begin the holy day,
Before I end this night.
2 Yea, let the work of prayer and praise
Employ my heart and tongue;
Begin, my soul;-thy Sabbath-days
Can never be too long!
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