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EVENING
Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. — St. Luke xxiv. 29.
’Tis gone, that bright and orbed blaze, Fast fading from our wistful gaze; You mantling cloud has hid from sight The last faint pulse of quivering light. |
In darkness and in weariness The traveller on his way must press, No gleam to watch on tree or tower, Whiling away the lonesome hour. |
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! |
When round Thy wondrous works below My searching rapturous glance I throw, Tracing out Wisdom, Power and Love, In earth or sky, in stream or grove; — |
Or by the light Thy words disclose Watch Time’s full river as it flows, Scanning Thy gracious Providence, Where not too deep for mortal sense: — |
When with dear friends sweet talk I hold, And all the flowers of life unfold; Let not my heart within me burn, Except in all I Thee discern. |
When the soft dews of kindly sleep My wearied eyelids gently steep, Be my last thought, how sweet to rest For ever on my Saviour’s breast. |
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. |
Thou Framer of the light and dark, Steer through the tempest Thine own ark: Amid the howling wintry sea We are in port if we have Thee.22Then they willingly received Him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went. St. John vi. 21. |
The Rulers of this Christian land, ’Twixt Thee and us ordained to stand, — Guide Thou their course, O Lord, aright, Let all do all as in Thy sight. |
Oh! by Thine own sad burthen, borne So meekly up the hill of scorn, Teach Thou Thy Priests their daily cross To bear as Thine, nor count it loss! |
If some poor wandering child of Thine Have spurn’d to-day the voice divine, Now, Lord, the gracious work begin; Let him no more lie down in sin. |
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. |
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. |
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