275

S

F. W. Faber, 1814-1863.

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.

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

2 The day is done, its hours have run,
And thou hast taken count of all;
The scanty triumphs grace hath won,
The broken vow, the frequent fall.
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.
4* Do more than pardon; give us joy,
Sweet fear and sober liberty,
And loving hearts without alloy,
That only long to be like thee.

5* Labour is sweet, for thou hast toiled,
And care is light, for thou hast cared;
Let not our works with self be soiled,
Nor in unsimple ways ensnared.

6. 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.

276

I

Ascribed to 6th cent. Tr. J. M. Neale. Τὴν ἡμέραν διελθών.

HE day is past and over;

All thanks, O Lord, to thee;

pray thee that offenceless
The hours of dark may be :

O Jesu, keep me in thy sight,

And guard me through the coming night.

2

3

4.

The joys of day are over;
I lift my heart to thee,
And call on thee that sinless
The hours of dark may be :

O Jesu, make their darkness light,
And guard me through the coming night.
The toils of day are over;

I raise the hymn to thee,
And ask that free from peril
The hours of dark may be :

O Jesu, keep me in thy sight,

And guard me through the coming night.
Be thou my soul's preserver,

O God! for thou dost know
How many are the perils

Through which I have to go:

Lover of men! O hear my call,

And guard and save me from them all.

277

THE

J. Ellerton, 1826-93.
HE day thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
The darkness falls at thy behest ;
To thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

2 We thank thee that thy Church unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.

3 As o'er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day,
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.
4 The sun that bids us rest is waking

Our brethren 'neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.

5. So be it, Lord; thy throne shall never,

Like earth's proud empires, pass away;
Thy kingdom stands, and grows for ever,
Till all thy creatures own thy sway.

278

THE

P. Gerhardt, 1607-76. Tr. Y. H.

Nun ruhen alle Wälder.

HE duteous day now closeth,
Each flower and tree reposeth,
Shade creeps o'er wild and wood :
Let us, as night is falling,
On God our Maker calling,

Give thanks to him, the Giver good.

2 Now all the heavenly splendour
Breaks forth in starlight tender
From myriad worlds unknown;
And man, the marvel seeing,
Forgets his selfish being,

For joy of beauty not his own. 3 His care he drowneth yonder, Lost in the abyss of wonder;

To heaven his soul doth steal:
This life he disesteemeth,
The day it is that dreameth,

That doth from truth his vision seal.

4. Awhile his mortal blindness

May miss God's lovingkindness,
And grope in faithless strife :
But when life's day is over
Shall death's fair night discover
The fields of everlasting life.

279

G. Thring, 1823-1903.

HE radiant morn hath passed away,
And spent too soon her golden store ;

The shadows of departing day

Creep on once more.

2 Our life is but an autumn sun,
Its glorious noon how quickly past;
Lead us, O Christ, our life-work done,
Safe home at last.

3 O by thy soul-inspiring grace

Uplift our hearts to realms on high;
Help us to look to that bright place
Beyond the sky ;-

4 Where light, and life, and joy, and peace
In undivided empire reign,

And thronging Angels never cease

Their deathless strain ;

5. Where Saints are clothed in spotless white,
And evening shadows never fall,
Where thou, eternal Light of light,

Art Lord of all.

280

TH

c. 18th cent. Tr. E. Caswall.

Sol praeceps rapitur.

HE sun is sinking fast,
The daylight dies;

Let love awake, and pay
Her evening sacrifice.
2 As Christ upon the Cross,
In death reclined,
Into his Father's hands

His parting soul resigned,

3 So now herself my soul
Would wholly give
Into his sacred charge,

In whom all spirits live;
4 So now beneath his eye
Would calmly rest,
Without a wish or thought
Abiding in the breast,

281

TH

5 Save that his will be done,
Whate'er betide,

Dead to herself, and dead
In him to all beside.

6 Thus would I live; yet now
Not I, but he

In all his power and love
Henceforth alive in me-

7. One sacred Trinity,
One Lord Divine,

Myself for ever his,

And he for ever mine!

T. Kelly, 1769-1854.

HROUGH the day thy love has spared us;
Now we lay us down to rest;

Through the silent watches guard us,
Let no foe our peace molest:

Jesus, 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 thine arms may we repose,

And, when life's sad day is past,
Rest with thee in heaven at last.

See also for Saturday Evening, 282, below.
For other days: 51 O blest Creator of the light.
For Week-days: 58-62.

282

SATURDAY EVENING.

John Samuel Jones.

OW the busy week is done,
Now the rest-time is begun ;

Thou hast brought us on our way,
Kept and led us day by day;

Now there comes the first and best,
Day of worship, light and rest.