Great Source of being,
Father all-seeing!
We bow before thee;
Our souls adore thee;
Help us obey thee;
Guide us aright;
Keep us, we pray thee,
Through the long night.

Thou kind, forgiving
God of all living,
Thy power defend us,
Thy peace attend us,
While we are closing
This day in prayer,
Ever reposing
Under thy care.

EVENING HYMN.

Before I close my eyes to-night,
Let me myself these questions ask:--
Have I endeavoured to do right,
Nor thought my duty was a task?

Have I been gentle, lowly, meek,
And the small voice of conscience heard?
When passion tempted me to speak,
Have I repressed the angry word?

Have I with cheerful zeal obeyed
What my kind parents bid me do,
And not by word or action said
The thing that was not strictly true?

In hard temptation's troubled hour,
Then have I stopped to think and pray,
That God would give my soul the power
To chase the sinful thought away?

O Thou who seest all my heart,
Wilt thou forgive and love me still!
Wilt thou to me new strength impart,
And make me love to do thy will!

LINES WRITTEN AT MIDNIGHT.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF A.G. EBERHARD.

The sun in smiles doth dress his face,
As evening comes to take his place;
So looks the parting loved-one, when
He means to quickly come again.

With moon and stars all sparkling bright,
Advances now the silent night;
And with the calm and gentle moon,
Sweet peace doth quietly come on.

Who at the moon and stars can gaze
Without a gush of love and praise?
And now it is the midnight hour,
And sleep asserts her soothing power.

But see, the flickering light is gone,
That from my neighbour's window shone;
His simple household prayer is said,
He rests from toil, on his hard bed.

Yet still the watchman wakes, and still
Faithful till morning watch he will;
But vain, O watchman! is thy care,
If God, the Guardian, be not there.

By my dull lamp, whose light's near gone,
In my small room I sit alone,
And, thinking o'er past joys and pain,
A sweet contentment doth remain.

He's still my trust; he, the true Shepherd, never
Will forsake his sheep,--he watcheth ever;
The mother may forget her child, but yet
Thus saith the Lor