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SA

AVIOUR, breathe an evening blessing,
Ere repose our spirits seal;

Sin and want we come confessing;

Thou canst save and Thou canst heal.

2 Though the night be dark and dreary,
Darkness cannot hide from Thee;
Thou art He Who, never weary,
Watchest where Thy people be.

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3 Though destruction walk around us,
Though the arrows past us fly,
Angel-guards from Thee surround us;
We are safe, if Thou art nigh.

4 Be Thou nigh, should death o'ertake us ;
Jesu then our refuge be,

And in Paradise awake us,

There to rest in peace with Thee.

5 Father, to Thy holy keeping
Humbly we ourselves resign;
Saviour, Who hast slept our sleeping,
Make our slumbers pure as Thine;

6 Blessed Spirit, brooding o'er us,
Chase the darkness of our night,
Till the perfect day before us
Breaks in everlasting light.

ALL

LL praise to Thee, my God, this night For all the blessings of the light; Keep me, oh, keep me, King of kings, Beneath Thine own almighty wings.

8.7.

L. M.

2 Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done ;

That with the world, myself, and Thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

3 Teach me to live, that I may dread

The grave as little as my bed ;
Teach me to die, that so I may
Rise glorious at the awful day.

4 Oh, may my soul on Thee repose,
And may sweet sleep mine eyelids close;
Sleep that shall me more vigorous make
To serve my God when I awake.

5 When in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest.

6 Oh, when shall I, in endless day,
Forever chase dark sleep away,
And hymns divine with angels sing,
All praise to Thee, eternal King?

7 Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, angelic host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

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8.4.8.4.8.8.8.4.

GOD, that madest earth and heaven,

Darkness and light ;

Who the day for toil hast given,
For rest the night :

May Thine angel-guards defend us,
Slumber sweet Thy mercy send us,
Holy dreams and hopes attend us,
This livelong night.

2 Guard us waking, guard us sleeping,
And, when we die,

May we in Thy mighty keeping,
All peaceful lie:

When the last dread call shall wake us,
Do not Thou, our God, forsake us,
But to reign in glory take us
With Thee on high.

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21

NOW

from the altar of our hearts Let flames of love arise;

Assist us, Lord, to offer up

Our evening sacrifice.

2 Minutes and mercies multiplied
Have made up all this day;
Minutes came quick, but mercies were
More swift, more free than they.

3 New time, new favors, and new joys
Do a new song require;

Till we shall praise Thee as we would,
Accept our hearts' desire.

C. M.

BEFORE the ending of the day,

Creator of the world, we pray

That with Thy wonted favor, Thou
Wouldst be our guard and keeper now.

2 From all ill dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Withhold from us our ghostly foe,
That spot of sin we may not know.

L.M.

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3 O Father, that we ask be done,

Through Jesus Christ, Thine only Son;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and Thee,
Doth live and reign eternally.

WEET Saviour, bless us ere we go:

And make our lukewarm hearts to glow
With lowly love and fervent will.

8s.

Through life's long day and death's dark night,
O gentle Jesu, be our light.

2 The day is gone, its hours have run,
And Thou hast taken count of all,
The scanty triumphs grace hath won,
The broken vow, the frequent fall.
Through life's long day and death's dark night,
O gentle Jesu, be our light.

3 Grant us, dear Lord, from evil ways
True absolution and release ;

And bless us, more than in past days,
With purity and inward peace.

Through life's long day and death's dark night,
O gentle Jesu, be our light.

4 For all we love, the poor, the sad,
The sinful, unto Thee we call ;
Oh, let Thy mercy make us glad;
Thou art our Saviour, and our all.
Through life's long day and death's dark night,
O gentle Jesu, be our light.

5 Sweet Saviour, bless us; night is come;
Through night and darkness near us be ;
Good angels watch about our home,

And we are one day nearer Thee. Through life's long day and death's dark night, O gentle Jesu, be our light.

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S. M.

OUR day of praise is done;

The evening shadows fall;

But pass not from us with the sun,
True Light that lightenest all.

2 Around the throne on high,
Where night can never be,
The white-robed harpers of the sky
Bring ceaseless hymns to Thee.

3 Too faint our anthems here;
Too soon of praise we tire:

But oh, the strains how full and clear
Of that eternal choir!

4 Yet, Lord, to Thy dear will
If Thou attune the heart,
We in Thine angels' music still
May bear our lower part.

5 'Tis Thine each soul to calm,

Each wayward thought reclaim,
And make our life a daily psalm
Of glory to Thy Name.

6 A little while, and then

Shall come the glorious end;
And songs of angels and of men
In perfect praise shall blend.

Also the following:

389 Three in One, and One in Three.

535 Now the day is over.

642 Tarry with me, O my Saviour!

643 Inspirer and Hearer of prayer.

644 Great God, to Thee my evening song.