THE shadows of the evening hours
Fall from the darkening 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.
The sorrows of thy servants, Lord,
O 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.
Slowly the rays of daylight fade;
So fade within our heart
The hopes of earthly love and joy
That one by one depart;
Slowly the bright stars, one by one,
Within the heavens shine;
Give us, O Lord, fresh hopes in heaven,
And trust in things divine.
Let peace, O Lord,-thy peace, O God,-
Upon our souls descend;
From midnight fears and perils Thou
Our trembling hearts defend:
Give us a respite from our toil;
Calm and subdue our woes;
Through the long day we suffer, Lord,
O give us now repose.
THE radiant morn hath passed away,
And spent too soon her golden store ;
The shadows of departing day
Creep on once more.
Our life is but an autumn day,
Its glorious noon how quickly past;
Lead us through Christ, the living way,
Home, Lord, at last.
O, by thy soul-inspiring grace
Uplift our hearts to realms on high;
Help us to look to that bright place
Beyond the sky;
Where light, and life, and joy, and peace
In undivided empire reign,
And thronging angels never cease
Their deathless strain ;
Where saints are clothed in spotless white,
And evening shadows never fall;
Where Thou, eternal Light of Light,
SLOWLY by thy hand unfurled,
Down around the weary world
Falls the darkness; O how still
Is the working of thy will!
Mighty Maker, here am I ;
Work in me as silently;
Veil the day's distracting sights,
Show me heaven's eternal lights.
From the darkened sky come forth
Countless stars, a wondrous birth:
So may gleams of glory dart
From this dim abyss, my heart.
Living worlds to view be brought
In the boundless realms of thought;
High and infinite desires,
Flaming like those upper fires.
Holy Truth, Eternal Right,
Let them break upon my sight;
Let them shine, serene and still,
And with light my being fill.
Thou who dwellest there, I know,
Dwellest here within me too;
May the perfect peace of God
Here, as there, be shed abroad,
life attuned be
To the heavenly harmony
Which, beyond the power of sound,
Fills the universe around.
O LIGHT of life, O Saviour dear,
Before we sleep bow down thine ear:
Through dark and day, o'er land and sea,
We have no other hope but Thee.
Oft from thy royal road we part,
Lost in the mazes of the heart:
Our lamps put out, our course forgot,
We seek for God and find Him not.
What sudden sunbeams cheer our sight!
What dawning risen upon the night!
Thou giv'st Thyself to us, and we
Find Guide and Path and all in Thee.
Through day and darkness, Saviour dear,
Abide with us more nearly near ;
Till on thy face we lift our eyes,
The Sun of God's own Paradise.
Praise God, our Maker and our Friend;
Praise Him through time, till time shall end;
Till psalm and song his name adore
Through heaven's great day of Evermore.
F. T. Palgrave.
SAVIOUR, again to thy dear name we raise,
With one accord our parting hymn of praise ;
We stand to bless Thee ere our worship cease,
Then, lowly kneeling, wait thy word of peace.
Grant us thy peace upon our homeward way;
With Thee began, with Thee shall end, the day;
Guard Thou the lips from sin, the hearts from
shame,
That in this house have called upon thy name.
Grant us thy peace, Lord, through the coming night,
Turn Thou for us its darkness into light;
From harm and danger keep thy children free,
For dark and light are both alike to Thee.
Grant us thy peace throughout our earthly life,
Our balm in sorrow and our stay in strife:
Then, when thy voice shall bid our conflict cease,
Call us, O Lord, to thine eternal peace.
THE Lord be with us as we bend
His blessing to receive;
His gift of peace upon us send,
Before his courts we leave.
The Lord be with us as we walk
Along our homeward road;
In silent thought, or friendly talk,
Our hearts be still with God.
The Lord be with us till the night
Enfold our day of rest ;
Be He of every heart the Light,
Of every home the Guest.
The Lord be with us through the hours
Of slumber calm and deep;
Protect our homes, renew our powers,
And guard his people's sleep.
PART in peace! is day before us?
Praise his name for life and light:
Are the shadows lengthening o'er us?
Bless his care who guards the night.
Part in peace! with deep thanksgiving,
Rendering, as we homeward tread,
Gracious service to the living,
Tranquil memory to the dead.
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