4 If some poor wandering child of thine
Have spurn'd to-day the voice divine,
Now, Lord, the gracious work begin;
Let him no more lie down in sin.

5 Watch by the sick! enrich the poor
With blessings from thy boundless store;
Be every mourner's sleep to-night,
Like infant's slumbers, pure and light.

6 Come near and bless us when we wake,
Ere through the world our way we take,
Till in the ocean of thy love

337

We lose ourselves in heaven above.

With my soul have I desired thee in the night.”

THE

HE shadows of the evening hours
Fall from the darkening sky,
Upon the fragrance of the flowers
The dews of evening lie;

2 Before thy throne, O Lord of heaven,
We kneel at close of day;
Look on thy children from on high,
And hear us while we pray.

3 The sorrows of thy servants, Lord,
O do not thou despise,

ut let the incense of our prayers
Before thy mercy

rise;

4 The brightness of the coming night
Upon the darkness rolls;

With hopes of future glory chase
The shadows on our souls.

C.M.

5 Slowly the rays of daylight fade;
So fade within our heart

The hopes in earthly love and joy,
That one by one depart;

6 Slowly the bright stars, one by one,
Within the heavens shine:

Give us, O Lord, fresh hopes in heaven,
And trust in things divine.

7 Let peace, O Lord! thy peace, O God!
Upon our souls descend,

From midnight fears, and perils, thou
Our trembling hearts defend:

8 Give us a respite from our toil,
Calm and subdue our woes;
Through the long day we suffer, Lord,
O give us now repose!

338

SW

"The Lord is my light."

WEET Saviour, bless us ere we go:
Thy word into our minds instil;

And make our lukewarm hearts to glow
With lowly love and fervent will.

SIX 89.

Through life's long day and death's dark night,
O gentle Jesus, be our light.

2 The day is gone, its hours have run,
And thou hast taken count of all,
The scanty triumphs grace hath won,
The broken vow, the frequent fall.

Through life's long day and death's dark night,
O gentle Jesus, be our light.

3 Grant us, dear Lord, from evil ways
True absolution and release;

And bless us, more than in past days,
With purity and inward peace.

Through life's long day and death's dark night,
O gentle Jesus, be our light.

4 Labour is sweet, for thou hast toil'd;
And care is light, for thou hast cared;
Ah! never let our works be soil'd
With strife, or by deceit ensnared.
Through life's long day and death's dark night,
O gentle Jesus, be our light.

5 For all we love, the poor, the sad,
The sinful, unto thee we call;
O let thy mercy make us glad;

Thou art our Jesus, and our all.

Through life's long day and death's dark night,
O gentle Jesus, be our light.

6 Sweet Saviour, bless us; night is come; Through night and darkness near us be; Good angels watch about our home,

And we are one day nearer thee.

Through life's long day and death's dark night,
O gentle Jesus, be our light.

339

I

"Darkness and light to thee are both alike."

NSPIRER and Hearer of

prayer,

Thou Shepherd and Guardian of thine,

My all to thy covenant care,

I, sleeping or waking, resign.

R

85.

2 If thou art my shield and my sun,
The night is no darkness to me;
And, fast as my minutes roll on,
They bring me but nearer to thee.
3 A sovereign protector I have,
Unseen, yet for ever at hand;
Unchangeably faithful to save,
Almighty to rule and command.

4 His smiles and his comforts abound,
His grace, as the dew, shall descend;
And walls of salvation surround

The soul he delights to defend. 5 All praise to the Father, the Son,

And Spirit, thrice holy and bless'd,
Th' eternal, supreme Three in One,
Was, is, and shall still be address'd.

340

"Let the lifting up of my hands be an evening
sacrifice."

Som

OFTLY now the light of day
Fades upon my sight away;
Free from care, from labour free,
Lord, I would commune with thee:

2 Thou, whose all-pervading eye
Naught escapes, without, within,
Pardon each infirmity,

Open fault, and secret sin.

3 Soon, for me, the light of day
Shall for ever pass away;

Then, from sin and sorrow free,
Take me, Lord, to dwell with thee:

7s.

4 Thou who, sinless, yet hast known
All of man's infirmity;
Then, from thine eternal throne,
Jesus, look with pitying eye.

341

T

I

"Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety."

P.M.

HE day is past and over:

All thanks, O Lord, to thee!

pray thee that offenceless

The hours of dark may be.

O Jesus, keep me in thy sight,

And save me through the coming night!

2 The joys of day are over:

I lift my heart to thee;
And call on thee that sinless
The hours of gloom may be.

O Jesus, make their darkness light,
And save me through the coming night!

3 The toils of day are over;

I raise the hymn to thee,
And ask that free from peril

The hours of fear may be:
O Jesus, keep me in thy sight,

And guard me through the coming night!

4 Lighten mine eyes, O Saviour,

Or sleep in death shall I,
And he, my wakeful tempter,
Triumphantly shall cry,

"Against him I have now prevailed:

Rejoice! the child of God has failed."