Ar evening time let there be light! Life's little day draws near its close; Around me fall the shades of night, The night of death, the grave's repose: To crown my joys, to end my woes, At evening time let there be light!
At evening time let there be light! Stormy and dark hath been my day; Yet rose the morn divinely bright,
Dews, birds, and blossoms, cheer'd the way; O for one sweet, one parting ray! At evening time let there be light!
At evening time there shall be light- For God hath spoken—it must be : Fear, doubt, and anguish, take their flight, His glory now is risen on me! Mine eyes shall his salvation see: 'Tis evening time, and there is light!
“Watch Ye.”
MARK XIV. 38.
WHEN Summer decks thy path with flowers, And Pleasure's smile is sweetest; When not a cloud above thee lowers, And sunshine leads thy happy hours, Thy happiest and thy fleetest:
O watch thou then, lest Pleasure's smile Thy spirit of its hope beguile!
When round thee gathering storms are nigh,
And grief thy days hath shaded;
When earthly joys but bloom to die, And tears suffuse thy weeping eye,
And Hope's bright bow hath faded; O watch thou then, lest anxious Care Invade thy heart, and rankle there!
Through all life's scenes-through weal and woe, Through days of mirth and sadness, Where'er thy wandering footsteps go- O think how transient here below
Thy sorrow and thy gladness;
And watch thou ALWAYS, lest thou stray From Him who points the heavenward way.
HARPS of eternity! begin the song; Redeem'd and angel harps! begin to God, Begin the anthem ever sweet and new, While I extol Him, holy, just, and good. Life, beauty, light, intelligence and love! Eternal, uncreated, infinite!
Unsearchable Jehovah! God of truth! Maker, Upholder, Governor of all :
Thyself unmade, ungoverned, un-upheld. Mysterious more, the more displayed, where still Upon thy glorious throne Thou sitt'st alone; Hast sat alone, and shalt for ever sit Alone; invisible, immortal One !
Behind essential brightness unbeheld.
Incomprehensible! what weight shall weigh? What measures measure Thee? What know we
Of Thee (what need to know?) than Thou hast
And bid'st us still repeat, at morn and even ? God! everlasting Father! holy One!
Our God, our Father, our eternal All!
Source whence we came, and whither we return; Who made the heaven, who made the flowery land; Thy works all praise Thee; all Thy angels praise;
Thy saints adore, and on Thy altars burn The fragrant incense of perpetual love;
They praise Thee now; their hearts, their voices praise,
And swell the rapture of the glorious song. Harp, lift thy voice on high-shout, angels, shout! And loudest, ye redeem'd! Glory to God, And to the Lamb who bought us with his blood, From every kindred, nation, people, tongue; And wash'd and sanctified and saved our souls; And gave us robes of linen pure, and crowns Of life, and made us kings and priests to God. Shout back to ancient Time! sing loud, and wave Your palms of triumph! sing, Where is thy sting, O Death? Where is thy victory, O Grave? Thanks be to God, eternal thanks, who gave Us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Harp, lift thy voice on high! shout, angels, shout! And loudest, ye redeem'd! Glory to God, And to the Lamb, all glory and all praise: All glory, and all praise, at morn and even, That come and go eternally; and find Us happy still, and thee for ever blest.
Glory to God and to the Lamb. Amen. For ever and for evermore.
WHEN first the day-beam bless'd the sky, I mark'd the varied clouds on high;
The clouds through which the sunlight broke, As if it came from heaven, and woke Their sleepy shadows into smiles,
And wooed them with a thousand wiles. Those at a distance yet were cold And dull and naked after night;
But towards the East they onward roll'd, And clad them in a robe of light. Others as if they loved to dwell
In darkness moved but slowly on, And when on them its brightness fell, But little of their gloom had gone. One, gloomier still, its course delays, As though too heavy for the sky, Then breaks and passes gaily by. While some had gather'd round the rays gave them hues and forms so fair. As loth to leave that glorious place, To lose their beauty, and to trace Their pathway through the murky air. I mark'd, when day was at its height, Others of many a varied dye,
More fair of form, more purely bright,
Than those that deck'd the morning sky.
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