Night o'er us with its stars, we pray
Thy love to guard us evermore.

6 In grief, console; in gladness, bless; In darkness, guide; in sickness, cheer; Till, perfected in righteousness,

87

We all before Thy throne appear.
W. H. Burleigh.

L. M.

SUN of my soul, Thou Saviour dear,
It is not night if Thou be near;
Oh, may no earth-born cloud arise
To hide Thee from Thy servant's eyes.

2 When the soft dews of kindly sleep
My weary eyelids gently steep,

Be my last thought, how sweet to rest
For ever on my Saviour's breast.

3 Abide with me from morn till eve,
For without Thee I cannot live;
Abide with me when night is nigh,
For without Thee I dare not die.

4 If some poor wandering child of Thine
Have spurned 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

We lose ourselves in heaven above.

J. Keble.

88

AT even, ere the sun was set,

The sick, O Lord, around Thee lay; Oh, in what divers pains they met ! Oh, with what joy they went away!

2 Once more 'tis eventide, and we

L. M.

Oppress'd with various ills draw near; What if Thy form we cannot see?

We know and feel that Thou art here.

3 O Saviour Christ, our woes dispel,

For some are sick, and some are sad, And some have never loved Thee well, And some have lost the love they had. 4 And some have found the world is vain, Yet from the world they break not free, And some have friends who give them pain, Yet have not sought a friend in Thee.

5 And none, O Lord, have perfect rest,
For none are wholly free from sin;
And they who fain would serve Thee best
Are conscious most of wrong within.

6 Oh, Saviour Christ, Thou too art Man,

Thou hast been troubled, tempted, tried; Thy kind, but searching glance can scan The very wounds that shame would hide. 7 Thy touch has still its ancient power; No word from Thee can fruitless fall; Hear, in this solemn evening hour, And in Thy mercy heal us all.

89

H. Twells.

L. M.

GREAT God who knowest each man's need, Bless Thou our watch and guard our sleep;

Forgive our sins of thought and deed,
And in Thy peace Thy servants keep.
2 We thank Thee for the day that's done,
We trust Thee for the days to be;
Thy love we learn in Christ Thy Son
Oh, may we all His glory see.

90

E. Tennyson.

10s.

ABIDE with me: fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide :
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, Oh, abide with me.

2 Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see :

O Thou who changest not, abide with me!

3 I need Thy presence every passing hour: What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?

Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me!

4 I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness. Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

5 Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies.

Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!

H. F. Lyte.

91

92

GOD the Father, be Thou near,
Save from ev'ry harm to-night;
Make us all Thy children dear,

In the darkness be our light.

2 God the Saviour, be our peace,
Put away our sins to-night;
Speak the word of full release,
Turn our darkness into light.
3 Holy Spirit, deign to come,
Sanctify us all to-night;
In our hearts prepare Thy home,
Turn our darkness into light.

4 Holy Trinity, be nigh,

Mystery of love ador'd;

Help to live and help to die;
Lighten all our darkness, Lord.

7s.

G. Rawson.

10s. 61.

THE day is gently sinking to a close,
Fainter and yet more faint the sunlight glows.
O brightness of Thy Father's glory,

Thou eternal light of light, be with us now:
Where Thou art present, darkness cannot be,
Midnight is glorious noon, O Lord, with Thee.

2 Our changeful lives are ebbing to an end;
Onward to darkness and to death we tend;
O conqueror of the grave, be Thou our guide.
Be Thou our light in death's dark eventide :
Then in our mortal hour will be no gloom,
No sting in death, no terror in the tomb.
3 Thou, Who in darkness walking didst appear
Upon the waves, and Thy disciples cheer,

Come, Lord, in lonesome days, when storms assail,

And earthly hopes and human succors fail :
When all is dark may we behold Thee nigh
And hear Thy voice, "Fear not, for it is I."

4 The weary world is mouldering to decay,
Its glories wane, its pageants fade away;
In that last sunset when the stars shall fall,
May we arise awakened by Thy call,
With Thee, O Lord, for ever to abide
In that blest day which has no eventide.

93

C. Wordsworth.

C. M. 81.

THE shadows of the evening hours
Fall from the dark'ning sky;
Upon the fragrance of the flowers
The dews of evening lie.

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.

2 The sorrows of Thy servants, Lord,
Oh, do not Thou despise,

But let the incense of our prayers
Before Thy mercy rise.

The brightness of the coming night
Upon the darkness rolls;

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

3 Slowly the rays of daylight fade :
So fade within our heart

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

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