Glory to thee, my God, this night,

For all the blessings of the light;

Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,

Beneath thine own almighty wings.

2 Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son,

The ill which 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 thy Judgment-day.

4 O let my soul on thee repose,

And may sweet sleep mine eyelids close;

Sleep, which shall me more vigorous make,

To serve my God when I awake.

5 Be thou my guardian while I sleep,

Thy watchful station near me keep;

My heart with love celestial fill,

And guard me from the approach of ill.

6 Lord, let my soul for ever share

The bliss of thy paternal care:

’Tis heaven on earth, ’tis heaven above,

To see thy face and sing thy love!

Thus far the Lord has led me on;

Thus far his power prolongs my days;

And every evening shall make known,

Some fresh memorial of his grace.

And now another day is gone,

I’ll sing my Maker’s praise;

My comforts every hour make known

His providence and grace.

2 I lay my body down to sleep;

Let angels guard my head;

And through the hours of darkness keep

Their watch around my bed.

3 With cheerful heart I close my eyes,

Since thou wilt not remove;

And in the morning let me rise,

Rejoicing in thy love.

Blest Sovereign, let my evening song

Like holy incense rise;

Assist the offerings of my tongue

To reach the lofty skies.

2 Through all the dangers of the day,

Thy hand was still my guard;

And still, to drive my wants away,

Thy mercy stood prepared.

Hail, tranquil hour of closing day!

Begone, disturbing care;

And look, my soul, from earth away,

To him who heareth prayer.

2 How sweet the tear of penitence,

Before his throne of grace,

While, to the contrite spirit’s sense,

He shows his smiling face.

3 How sweet, through long remembered years,

His mercies to recall;

And, pressed with wants, and griefs, and fears,

To trust his love for all.

4 How sweet to look, in thoughtful hope,

Beyond this fading sky,

And hear him call his children up

To his fair home on high.

5 Calmly the day forsakes our heaven,

To dawn beyond the west;

So let my soul, in life’s last even,

Retire to glorious rest.

The shadows of the evening hours

Fall from the darkening sky;

Upon the fragrance of the flowers

The dews of evening lie:

2 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 on our souls.

3 Slowly the rays of daylight fade;

So fade within our heart

The hopes in 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.

4 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!

A sweetly solemn thought,

Comes to me o’er and o’er;

To-day, I’m nearer to my home

Than e’er I’ve been before.

Another day is past,

The hours for ever fled;

And time is bearing me away,

To mingle with the dead.

2 My mind in perfect peace

My Father’s care shall keep;

I yield to gentle slumber now,

For thou canst never sleep.

3 How blessÉd, Lord, are they,

On thee securely stayed!

Nor shall they be in life alarmed,

Nor be in death dismayed.

The day is past and gone,

The evening shades appear;

O may we all remember well

The night of death draws near.

Now from labor and from care

Evening shades have set me free,

In the work of praise and prayer,

Lord, I would converse with thee;

O, behold me from above,

Fill me with a Saviour’s love.

2 For the blessings of this day,

For the mercies of this hour,

For the gospel’s cheering ray,

For the Spirit’s quickening power,

Grateful notes to thee I raise;

Lord! accept my song of praise.

Softly, now, the light of day

Fades upon my sight away;

Free from care, from labor free,

Lord! I would commune with thee.

The mellow eve is gliding

Serenely down the west;

So, every care subsiding,

My soul would sink to rest.

2 The woodland hum is ringing

The daylight’s gentle close;

May angels round me, singing,

Thus hymn my last repose.

3 The evening star has lighted

Her crystal lamp on high;

So, when in death benighted,

May hope illume the sky.

4 In golden splendor dawning,

The morrow’s light shall break;

O, on the last bright morning

May I in glory wake!

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!

Saviour! breathe an evening blessing,

Ere repose our eyelids seal;

Sin and want we come confessing;

Thou canst save, and thou canst heal.

Tarry with me, O my Saviour,

For the day is passing by;

See the shades of evening gather,

And the night is drawing nigh.

2 Many friends were gathered round me

In the bright days of the past;

But the grave has closed above them,

And I linger here at last.

3 Deeper, deeper grow the shadows;

Paler now the glowing west;

Swift the night of death advances;

Shall it be the night of rest?

4 Feeble, trembling, fainting, dying,

Lord, I cast myself on thee;

Tarry with me through the darkness!

While I sleep, still watch by me.

5 Tarry with me, O my Saviour!

Lay my head upon thy breast

Till the morning; then awake me—

Morning of eternal rest!