From The Christian Year, 1827. Part of a poem of fourteen stanzas, entitled Evening. This hymn is made up of the third, seventh, eighth, and last three verses, unaltered.

Text: "Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." Luke xxiv, 29.

The Rev. John Keble, born in 1792, was a humble clergyman of the Church of England. He spent portions of several years in composing the beautiful lyrical poems that were first published in 1827, under the above title. The Christian Year is, without any doubt, the most popular volume of religious poetry issued in the nineteenth century Ninety-six editions were published before the death of the author in 1866.

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 the judgment-day.

4 0 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 Lord, let my soul forever share
The bliss of thy paternal care:
"Tis heaven on earth, 'tis heaven above,
To see thy face, and sing thy love.

"And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close." Verse four, line three:

"Sleep that may me more vigorous make."

From the author's Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College, edition of 1700. A few of the above changes were made by Bishop Ken himself for the edition of 1709.

The last verse of the hymnn was not written by Ken, but was added by some editor, who attempted to sum up the poem in a single stanza, and succeeded as well as could be expected.

Thomas Ken was born in 1637; was educated at Oxford, and ordained about 1666. In 1684 he was appointed chaplain to Charles II. and Bishop of Bath and Wells in the same year. It is said that the Bishop was faithful to the king, and that the merry monarch" had good sense enough to respect and appreciate a chaplain who dared to tell him his faults. He died in 1710.

Three of this writer's hymns, Morning, Evening, and Midnight, were first published in 1697 in an Appendix to the author's Manual of Prayers for the Winchester Scholars. The familiar and grand long meter doxology first appeared at the close of each of these hymns.

And hath refreshed me while I slept:
3 All praise to thee, who safe hast kept,
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless life partake.

4 Lord, I my vows to thee renew:
Disperse my sins as morning dew.
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with thyself my spirit fill.

5 Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say;
That all my powers, with all their might,
In thy sole glory.may unite.

THOMAS KEN.

A fine lyric made up of verses one, five, nine, twelve, and thirteen of Bishop Ken's Morning Hymn. The original has fourteen stanzas, including the doxology. This is slightly altered from the edition of 1700, but it agrees with the edition of 1709.

107

NOW

Morning prayer.

L. M.

doth the sun ascend the sky, And wake creation with its ray; Keep us from sin, O Lord most high, Through all the actions of the day.

2 Curb thou for us the unruly tongue; Teach us the way of peace to prize; And close our eyes against the throng Of earth's absorbing vanities,

3 O may our hearts be pure within; No cherished madness vex the soul: May abstinence the flesh restrain

And its rebellious pride control.

4 So when the evening stars appear, And in their train the darkness bring, May we, O Lord, with conscience clear, Our praise to thy pure glory sing.

AMBROSE OF MILAN. TR. BY E. CASWALL.

But in the spirit's secret cell
May hymn and prayer forever dwell.

108

TH

THUS far the Lord hath led me on, Thus far his power prolongs my days; And every evening shall make known Some fresh memorial of his grace.

2 Much of my time has run to waste,
And I, perhaps, am near my home;
But he forgives my follies past,
And gives me strength for days to come.

3 I lay my body down to sleep;
Peace is the pillow for my head;
While well-appointed angels keep

Their watchful stations round my bed.

4 Thus, when the night of death shall come,
My flesh shall rest beneath the ground,
And wait thy voice to rouse my tomb,
With sweet salvation in the sound.
ISAAC WATTS.

Title: An Evening Hymn, from Hymns and
Spiritual Songs, book i, 1707. Unaltered.
Two stanzas, the fourth and fifth, are left out:

SAMUEL LONGFELLOW.

Title: Vesper Hymn, unaltered and entire. Written for the author's Vespers, published in 1859. It is a beautiful hymn. " Spirit's," in the last stanza should begin with a small letter. It means, of course, the soul of the worshiper.

The Rev. Samuel Longfellow is a Unitarian minlow. He was born in 1819, was graduated at Harister, and brother of the poet, Henry W. Longfelvard in the class of 1839. He died in Portland, Me., October 3, 1892. In connection with the Rev. Samuel Johnson, he edited A Book of Hymns, 1846, and Hymns of the Spirit, 1864. To both of these he made valuable original contributions.

O Sun of righteousness divine!
On me with beams of mercy shine;
O chase the clouds of guilt away,
And turn my darkness into day.

2 And when to heaven's all-glorious King,
My morning sacrifice I bring,
And, mourning o'er my guilt and shame,
Ask mercy in my Saviour's name;
Then, Jesus, cleanse me with thy blood,
And be my Advocate with God.

3 When each day's scenes and labors close,
And wearied nature seeks repose,
With pardoning mercy richly blest,
Guard me, my Saviour, while I rest;
And, as each morning sun shall rise,
O lead me onward to the skies.

4 And at my life's last setting sun,
My conflicts o'er, my labors done,
Jesus, thy heavenly radiance shed,
To cheer and bless my dying bed;
And, from death's gloom my spirit raise,
To see thy face, and sing thy praise.

WILLIAM SHRUBSOLE, JR.

Title: A Morning Hymn, from A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, published by John Wesley, 1741. This is one of the few original hymns ascribed to John Wesley. One reason why it is thought to be his, rather than Charles Wesley's, is that it is only half-rhymed. Not a single known stanza of Charles Wesley has that peculiarity. The sublime thought expressed in the third line of the first stanza is borrowed from Plato: Lumen est umbra Dei.” Doxology No. 4 was appended to this hymnn. The original has "orient instead of "rising" in the second stanza. There is some doubt about the authorship of this hymn.

The name of John Wesley is known and honored throughout the world. He was born in the rectory of Epworth, in 1703, and was piously instructed by his parents. In 1714 he was placed at the Charter-house School, where he was a diligent and successful student. In 1720, when seventeen years old, he was removed to Christ Church, Oxford. Here he became an accomplished classical scholar. In 1725 he was ordained deacon, and in the following year was elected to a Fellowship in Lincoln College. He received the degree of Master of Arts in 1727, and in 1728 was ordained a priest in the Church of England. In 1729 a few students at Oxford banded together to attend the sacrament regularly every week, and to observe the method of study prescribed by the university. This conduct brought upon them the sneers of their fellow-students, and the honorable name of "Methodists."

The band was organized by Charles Wesley, in the absence of his brother; but, when John Wesley returned, he became its acknowledged leader, and its membership soon increased. In 1735 John Wesley and his brother Charles came to Georgia, as ministers to the colonists, and missionaries to the natives; but, after nearly two years of unsatisfactory labor, returned to England. At this time Wesley knew not the power of experimental religion. He said: "I went to America to convert the Indians; but, O! who shall convert me? Who is he that will deliver me from this evil heart of unbelief?" He dated his spiritual life from May 24, 1738. For a long time he had been seeking rest of soul, and had been instructed in the way of faith by pious Moravians. On the evening of this day he attended a meeting in London, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. "About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed; I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

From this time, for fifty-three years, until his triumphant death, in 1791, he was a tireless laborer in the Master's vineyard. He was the first man who had the holy audacity to say, "The world is my parish." He was an apostle extraordinary — raised up of God to head the reformation of the eighteenth century, as was Martin Luther that of the sixteenth.

Title: Evening Hymn. Published in 1792. This is a favorite with many people. It is found, with about twenty other compositions, in The Writings of the Late Elder John Leland. Including Some events in his life, written by himself. With additional sketches by Miss L. F. Greene. New York, 1845. Two words are altered. Verse three, line one, has "all" instead of "safe," and verse four, line one, "if" instead of "when."

John Leland was born in Massachusetts in 1754, and lived until 1841. In youth he was vain and wicked, but when about eighteen years old he became a Christian. He labored in the ministry in Virginia and in Massachusetts. Leland was the Lorenzo Dow of the Baptist denomination.

Written and published in Woodworth Musical Cabinet, 1847. It soon found its way into hymn collections, and has been widely used.

Christopher Christian Cox, son of Luther J. Cox, a Methodist preacher, was born in Baltimore in 1816; was graduated at Yale College in 1835, and at a Medical School in his native city in 1838. In 1861 he was appointed brigade surgeon in the U. S. Army. Died 1882.