If I take the wings of the morning
also shall Thy Hand lead me.
1 Now with the rising golden dawn,
Let us, the children of the day,
Cast off the darkness which so long
Has led our guilty souls astray.
2 mf Oh, may the morn, so pure, so clear,
Its own sweet calm in us instil;
A guileless mind, a heart sincere,
Simplicity of word and will:-
3 m And ever, as the day glides by,
May we the busy senses rein;
Keep guard upon the hand and eye,
Nor let the body suffer stain.
4 mf For all day long, on heaven's high tower,
There stands a Sentinel, Who spies
Our every action, hour by hour,
From early dawn till daylight dies.
5 To God the Father glory be,
And glory to His Only Son;
Glory, O Holy Ghost! to Thee,
The Everlasting Three in One. Amen.
Prudentius (348-? 413), tr. E. Caswall (1814-1878).
I am the Light of the world. John viii. 12.
10 JESU, Lord of heavenly grace,
Thou Brightness of Thy Father's Face,
Thou Fountain of eternal light,
Whose beams disperse the shades of night :—
2 mf Come, holy Sun of heavenly love,
Shower down Thy radiance from above;
And to our inward hearts convey
The Holy Spirit's cloudless ray.
3 m May faith, deep-rooted in the soul,
Subdue our flesh, our minds control;
May guile depart, and discord cease,
And all within be joy and peace.
4 my So gladly let us pass the day,
cres With thoughts as pure as morning ray,
Our faith as strong as mid-day light,
And souls undimmed by shades of night.
5 m O Christ, with each returning morn,
Thine image to our hearts is borne ;
O may we ever clearly see
Our Saviour and our God in Thee.
St. Ambrose (340–397), tr. J. Chandler (1806-1876).
Thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life. Ps. xxiii. 6.
1 mf ONCE again to meet the day
Time hath borne us on our way;
Once again to God we bring
Prayer's most lowly offering;
We, the making of Thine Hand,
In Thy strength alone we stand;
mf God of Mercy, God of Might !
dim Guard us till the fall of night.
2 mf Round us always as we move
Folded be Thy tender love;
If we wander from the way,
Lead us back, O Lord, we pray;
Р If temptations close us in,
If we doubt, or faint, or sin,
cres God of Mercy, God of Power!
dim Leave us not in that dark hour.
3 mf All we do and all we are,
Thou art with us everywhere.
Under Thine all-seeing Eye
We must live, and we must die.
O'er the creatures of Thy Word
Pour Thyself abroad, O Lord;
cres God of Mercy, God of Might!
dim Guard us, keep us, day and night.
Then when time is past and gone,
When the Day of Doom comes on,
When the trumpet calls the dead,
ƒ When the heavens and earth are fled,
Shrivelling at the only breath
Of the tempest of Thy wrath,
P Save us then, O God of Might!
By Thy mercies infinite!
Lord Coleridge; verse 2, l. 4, alt. G, T.
The Lord Himself is thy Keeper; the Lord is thy
Defence upon thy right hand. Ps. cxxi. 5.
1 ONCE more the daylight shines abroad,
O brethren, let us praise the Lord,
Whose grace and mercy thus have kept
The nightly watch while we have slept.
2 To Him let us together pray
With all our heart and soul to-day,
That He would keep us in His love,
And all our guilt and sin remove.
3 mf Eternal God, Almighty Friend,
Whose deep compassions have no end,
Whose never-failing strength and might
Have kept us safely through the night,-
4 mf Now send us from Thy heavenly throne
Thy grace and help, through Christ Thy Son,
cres That with Thy strength our hearts may glow,
And fear nor man nor ghostly foe.
5 p Lord God, O hear us, we implore,
Be Thou our Guardian evermore ;
eres Our mighty Champion and our Shield
That goeth with us to the field.
6 mf We offer up ourselves to Thee,
That heart, and word, and deed may be
In all things guided by Thy mind,
And in Thine eyes acceptance find.
7 cres Thus, Lord, we bring, through Christ Thy Son,
Our morning offering to Thy throne;
Now be Thy precious gift outpoured,
And help us for Thine honour, Lord!
Anon. From Bohemian Brethren's Coll. (1531), tr. Catherine Winkworth (1829-1878).
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! (218).
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall
14 be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. L.M.
1 mf ALMIGHTY Ruler! God of Truth!
Who guid'st the changing scenes of day
With golden gleams illuming morn,
And kindling noon with fiery ray ;-
2 O quench the baneful flames of strife,
Bid every hurtful passion cease,
Vouchsafe unto our bodies health,
And keep our hearts in perfect peace.
3 mf Most Gracious Father, grant our prayer, And Thou Co-equal Only Son,
cres Who with Thee, Spirit Paraclete,
✔ Reign through eternal ages One.
St. Ambrose (340–397), tr. J. D. Chambers.
15 The Dayspring from on high hath visited us. 8.7.8.7.7.7.
SEE the sun high heaven ascending
Half his fiery course hath run,
Joy his chariot wheels attending,
Till his promised work is done;
Be your course, while yet it may,
Bright as sun at bright mid-day.
2 Light, and life, and peace he bringeth,
Land and sea his empire own,
Every bird his glory singeth,
Sadness reigns when he is gone;
Be your life, while yet it may,
Pure and bright as bright mid-
day.
3 mf Storms beneath him lie a-dying, Sinks the sullen ocean swell,
cres Mark the clouds before him flying,
See his beams the mists dispel ;
Be your life, while yet it may,
Cloudless as a cloudless day.
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