Be my life and conversation
Still directed by THY word:
LORD, THY Constant preservation
To THINE erring child afford.
No where but alone in THEE,
From all harm can I be free.
Wholly to THY bless'd protection
I commit my heart and mind:
MIGHTY GOD, to THY direction,
Wholly may I be resign'd!
LORD, my SHIELD, my LIGHT divine,
Oh, accept and own me THINE.
LORD, to me THINE angel sending,
From the foe my soul preserve;
Still with gracious care defending,
Me for heavenly bliss reserve;
And ere long remove to rest,
To the mansions of the bless'd. Amen.
New every morning is the love
Our wakening and uprising prove,
Through sleep and darkness safely brought,
Restor❜d to life and power and thought.
New mercies, each returning day,
Hover around us while we pray;
New perils past, new sins forgiv'n,
New thoughts of GOD, new hopes of Heaven.
If on our daily course our mind
Be set to hallow all we find,
New treasures still of countless price
GOD will provide for sacrifice.
The trivial round, the common task
Will furnish all we ought to ask—
Room to deny ourselves-a road
To bring us daily nearer GOD.
Only, O LORD, in THY dear Love
Fit us for perfect rest above,
And help us, this and every day,
To live more nearly as we pray.
Praise GOD from WHOM all blessings flow,
Praise HIM, all creatures here below,
Praise HIM above, ye Heavenly host,
Praise FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen.
Rerum Deus tenax vigor.
O THOU, true LIFE of all that live,
WHO dost, unmov'd, all motion sway;
WHO dost the morn and evening give,
And through its changes guide the day:
THY light upon our evening pour,
So may our souls no sunset see,
But death to us an open door
To an eternal morning be.
FATHER of mercies! hear our cry;
Hear us, O sole-begotten Son,
WHO, with the HOLY GHOST most high,
Reignest while endless ages run.
Labente jam solis rota.
And now the Sun's declining rays
Towards the eve descend;
E'en so our years are sinking down
To their appointed end.
LORD, on the Cross THINE Arms were stretch'd
To draw us to the sky:
Oh, grant us then that Cross to love,
And in those Arms to die.
TO GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON,
And GOD the HOLY GHOST,
All glory be from saints on earth,
And from the Angel host. Amen.
Jam Sol recedit igneus.
10 Now doth the fiery Sun decline,
THOU, UNITY ETERNAL, shine;
THOU, TRINITY, THY blessings pour,
And make our hearts with love run o'er.
THEE, in the hymns of morn we praise;
TO THEE Our voice at eve we raise;
Oh, grant us, with THY saints on high,
THEE, through all time to glorify.
Praise to the FATHER, with the SON,
And HOLY SPIRIT, THREE in ONE,
As ever was in ages past,
And shall be so, while ages last. Amen.
Te lucis ante terminum.
11 Ere the waning light decay,
GOD of all, to THEE we pray,
THEE THY healthful grace to send
THEE to guard us and defend.
Guard from dreams that may affright,
Guard from terrors of the night :
Guard from foes, without, within,
Outward danger, inward sin.
Mindful of our Only Stay,
Duly thus to THEE we pray;
Duly thus to THEE we raise
Trophies of our grateful praise.
Hear the prayer, ALMIGHTY KING!
Hear THY praises, while we sing,
Hymning, with THY heavenly Host,
FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen.
Rerum Deus tenax vigor.
12 GOD, of all the Strength and Stay,
WHO, unmov'd, dost motion sway,
Dost the daylight hours divide,
And in due succession guide;
Give at eve THY sunshine bright,
Shed o'er death THY holy light;
So our day may ne'er go down,
So our life may glory crown.
Gracious FATHER, grant this boon,
Grant it, Sole co-equal SON,
With the SPIRIT throned on high,
GOD through all eternity. Amen.
13 O BLESSED SAVIOUR, Lord of all, Vouchsafe to hear us when we call; And now to those propitious be, Who here in prayer bow to THEE, Still to be kept from misery.
GREAT RULER of the day and night,
Upon our darkness cast THY light;
And let THY Passion pardon win
For what we have offended in,
Or thought, or word, or deed of sin.
And as THY mercy wipes away
What we have done amiss to-day,
So now the night returns again,
Our bodies and our souls refrain
From being soil'd with sinful stain.
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