3p In this quiet eventide

May our souls with Thee abide,
Own Thy Presence, feel Thy power,
Through this consecrated hour;
And from peaceful vesper-prayer
cres Purer, stronger spirits bear. Amen.

34 At evening time it shall be light. Zech, xiv. 7,
1 my HOLY Father, cheer our way
With Thy love's perpetual ray:
Grant us every closing day

35

cres

2

cres

Light at evening-time.

T. Hincks.

7.7.7.5.

pHoly Saviour, calm our fears
When earth's brightness disappears:
Grant us in our later years

Light at evening-time.

3 pp Holy Spirit, be Thou nigh
When in mortal pains we lie;
Grant us, as we come to die,
Light at evening-time.

4 mf Holy, Blessed Trinity,
cres Darkness is not dark to Thee:
Those Thou keepest always see
Light at evening-time. Amen.

R. Hayes Robinson.

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same

with thanksgiving. Col. iv. 2.

8.6.8.6.8.8.

1 mf LORD of my life, Whose tender care

Hath led me on till now,

dim Here, lowly, at the hour of prayer,
Before Thy throne I bow;

eres I bless Thy gracious Hand, and pray
dim Forgiveness for another day.

2 m/ O may I daily, hourly, strive
In heavenly grace to grow,
To Thee and to Thy glory live,
Dead else to all below,

Tread in the path my Saviour trod,
Though thorny, yet the road to God.

3 cres With prayer my humble praise I bring For mercies day by day;

dim Lord, teach my heart Thy love to sing, Lord, teach me how to pray;

36

mf All that I have, or am, to Thee
I offer through eternity. Amen.

Thou shalt lie down, and none shall make
thee afraid. Job xi. 19.

, Chelsea (1838).

11.11.11.5. 1 mf Now God be with us, for the night is closing; The light and darkness are of His disposing, dim And 'neath His shadow we to rest may yield us,

For He will shield us.

2 mf Let evil thoughts and spirits flee before us; cres Till morning cometh, watch, O Father, o'er

dim In soul and body Thou from harm defend us; Thine angels send us.

Ρ

3 my Let holy thoughts be ours when sleep o'er

takes us;

Our earliest thoughts be Thine when morning wakes us;

cres All day serve Thee; ) in all that we are

doing

Thy praise pursuing.

4

p We have no refuge; none on earth to aid

us,

Save Thee, O Father, Who Thine own hast made us;

cres But Thy dear Presence will not leave them

lonely,

Who seek Thee only.

5 Father, Thy Name be praised, Thy kingdom given,

Thy will be done on earth as 'tis in heaven;
Keep us in life, (dim) forgive our sins,

deliver

37 The Lamb is the Light thereof. Rev. xxi. 23.

D.L.M.

1 mf Now sinks in night the flaming sun;
O Thou, our everlasting Day,
Thrice Holy Godhead, Three in One,
Thy brightness to our hearts display :
To Thee we hymn the morning lay,

-cres

To Thee our evening vows are given;
Grant us, as here to Thee we pray,

To praise Thee in the courts of heaven.

2 No shadows there, nor clouds impede
The view with visions of affright:
Nor sun nor moon those mansions need;
The Lamb is their perpetual Light.

mf Oh, yet unseen by mortal sight,

May in our souls that scene endure, cres That we, through hope of that delight, May purer grow as Thou art pure.

3 And when the day shall come that we
Shall know no more, as now, in part,
May we unveiled Thy Presence see,

Be like, and know Thee as Thou art :
And evermore with voice and heart

Join concert with Thy heavenly host,
And bear, in praising Thee, our part,
Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

From the Latin, tr. Bishop R. Mant (1776-1848).

38

The Lord is my Light, and my Salvation.

Ps. xxvii. 1.

10.6.10.6.

1 mf 0 BRIGHTNESS of the Immortal Father's Face, Most Holy, Heavenly, Blest,

Lord Jesu Christ, in Whom His truth and grace

Are visibly expressed,

The sun is sinking now, and one by one
The lamps of evening shine :

eres We hymn the Eternal Father, and the Son, And Holy Ghost Divine.

3 f Worthy art Thou at all times to receive Our hallowed praises, Lord :

39

O Son of God, be Thou, in Whom we live,
Through all the world adored. Amen.

Anon. (Alexandrian, 2nd (?) cent.), tr. E. W. Eddis.

Let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay
upon his God. Is. 1. 10.

1 m O GOD, of all the Strength and Stay,
Who dost Thyself unmoved abide,
And all the changing hours of day
In their ordained succession guide,—

L.M.

2

cres

Thy Light upon our evening pour,
So may our life no sunset see;
But death to us an holy door
f Of everlasting glory be.

3 mf Father of Mercies, grant our prayer,
And Thou Co-equal, Only Son,

cr'es

f

Who with the Holy Spirit art

Through everlasting ages One. Amen.

St. Ambrose (340–397), tr. J. M. Neale, alt. (1818-1866).

40

Under the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.

Ps. lxiii. 8.

10s.

1 mf O LORD, Who by Thy Presence hast made light

The heat and burden of the toilsome day,

dim Be with me also in the silent night,

Р

Be with me when the daylight fades away.

2 m As Thou hast given me strength upon the

way,

So deign at evening to become my guest; As Thou hast shared the labours of the day, So also deign to share and bless my rest.

3p How sad and cold, if Thou be absent, Lord, The evening leaves me, and my heart how dead!

cres But if Thy Presence grace my humble board I seem with heavenly manna to be fed.

mf

.4 m Fraught with rich blessing, breathing sweet repose,

The calm of evening settles on my breast, If Thou be with me when my labours close, No more is needed to complete my rest.