XXXIX.—EXHORTATION TO PRAYER.
1. Not on a prayerless bed, not on a prayerless bedCompose thy weary limbs to rest;For they alone are blessedWith balmy sleep,Whom angels keep;Nor, though by care oppressed,Or anxious sorrow,Or thought in many a coil perplexedFor coming morrow,Lay not thy headOn prayerless bed.2. For who can tell, when sleep thine eyes shall close,That earthly cares and woesTo thee may e’er return?Arouse, my soul,Slumber control,And let thy lamp burn brightly;So shall thine eyes discernThings pure and sightly;Taught by the Spirit, learnNever on thoughtless bedTo lay thine unblessed head.3. Hast thou no pining want, or wish, or care,That calls for holy prayer?Has thy day been so brightThat in its flightThere is no trace of sorrow?And art thou sure to-morrowWill be like this, and moreAbundant? Dost thou yet lay up thy store,And still make plans for more?Thou fool! this very nightThy soul may wing its flight.4. Hast thou no being than thyself more dear,That plows the ocean deep?And when storms sweep the wintry, lowering skies,For whom thou wakest and weepest?O, when thy pangs are deepest,Seek then the covenant ark of prayer,For He that slumbereth not, is there,His ear is open to thy cry;O, then, on prayerless bedLay not thy thoughtless head.5. Arouse thee, weary soul, nor yield to slumber,Till in communion blessedWith the elect thou rest,Those souls in countless number;And with them raiseThe note of praise,Reaching from earth to heaven;Chosen, redeemed, forgiven;So lay thy happy head,Prayer-crowned, on blessed bed.
1. Not on a prayerless bed, not on a prayerless bedCompose thy weary limbs to rest;For they alone are blessedWith balmy sleep,Whom angels keep;Nor, though by care oppressed,Or anxious sorrow,Or thought in many a coil perplexedFor coming morrow,Lay not thy headOn prayerless bed.2. For who can tell, when sleep thine eyes shall close,That earthly cares and woesTo thee may e’er return?Arouse, my soul,Slumber control,And let thy lamp burn brightly;So shall thine eyes discernThings pure and sightly;Taught by the Spirit, learnNever on thoughtless bedTo lay thine unblessed head.3. Hast thou no pining want, or wish, or care,That calls for holy prayer?Has thy day been so brightThat in its flightThere is no trace of sorrow?And art thou sure to-morrowWill be like this, and moreAbundant? Dost thou yet lay up thy store,And still make plans for more?Thou fool! this very nightThy soul may wing its flight.4. Hast thou no being than thyself more dear,That plows the ocean deep?And when storms sweep the wintry, lowering skies,For whom thou wakest and weepest?O, when thy pangs are deepest,Seek then the covenant ark of prayer,For He that slumbereth not, is there,His ear is open to thy cry;O, then, on prayerless bedLay not thy thoughtless head.5. Arouse thee, weary soul, nor yield to slumber,Till in communion blessedWith the elect thou rest,Those souls in countless number;And with them raiseThe note of praise,Reaching from earth to heaven;Chosen, redeemed, forgiven;So lay thy happy head,Prayer-crowned, on blessed bed.
1. Not on a prayerless bed, not on a prayerless bedCompose thy weary limbs to rest;For they alone are blessedWith balmy sleep,Whom angels keep;Nor, though by care oppressed,Or anxious sorrow,Or thought in many a coil perplexedFor coming morrow,Lay not thy headOn prayerless bed.
1. Not on a prayerless bed, not on a prayerless bed
Compose thy weary limbs to rest;
For they alone are blessed
With balmy sleep,
Whom angels keep;
Nor, though by care oppressed,
Or anxious sorrow,
Or thought in many a coil perplexed
For coming morrow,
Lay not thy head
On prayerless bed.
2. For who can tell, when sleep thine eyes shall close,That earthly cares and woesTo thee may e’er return?Arouse, my soul,Slumber control,And let thy lamp burn brightly;So shall thine eyes discernThings pure and sightly;Taught by the Spirit, learnNever on thoughtless bedTo lay thine unblessed head.
2. For who can tell, when sleep thine eyes shall close,
That earthly cares and woes
To thee may e’er return?
Arouse, my soul,
Slumber control,
And let thy lamp burn brightly;
So shall thine eyes discern
Things pure and sightly;
Taught by the Spirit, learn
Never on thoughtless bed
To lay thine unblessed head.
3. Hast thou no pining want, or wish, or care,That calls for holy prayer?Has thy day been so brightThat in its flightThere is no trace of sorrow?And art thou sure to-morrowWill be like this, and moreAbundant? Dost thou yet lay up thy store,And still make plans for more?Thou fool! this very nightThy soul may wing its flight.
3. Hast thou no pining want, or wish, or care,
That calls for holy prayer?
Has thy day been so bright
That in its flight
There is no trace of sorrow?
And art thou sure to-morrow
Will be like this, and more
Abundant? Dost thou yet lay up thy store,
And still make plans for more?
Thou fool! this very night
Thy soul may wing its flight.
4. Hast thou no being than thyself more dear,That plows the ocean deep?And when storms sweep the wintry, lowering skies,For whom thou wakest and weepest?O, when thy pangs are deepest,Seek then the covenant ark of prayer,For He that slumbereth not, is there,His ear is open to thy cry;O, then, on prayerless bedLay not thy thoughtless head.
4. Hast thou no being than thyself more dear,
That plows the ocean deep?
And when storms sweep the wintry, lowering skies,
For whom thou wakest and weepest?
O, when thy pangs are deepest,
Seek then the covenant ark of prayer,
For He that slumbereth not, is there,
His ear is open to thy cry;
O, then, on prayerless bed
Lay not thy thoughtless head.
5. Arouse thee, weary soul, nor yield to slumber,Till in communion blessedWith the elect thou rest,Those souls in countless number;And with them raiseThe note of praise,Reaching from earth to heaven;Chosen, redeemed, forgiven;So lay thy happy head,Prayer-crowned, on blessed bed.
5. Arouse thee, weary soul, nor yield to slumber,
Till in communion blessed
With the elect thou rest,
Those souls in countless number;
And with them raise
The note of praise,
Reaching from earth to heaven;
Chosen, redeemed, forgiven;
So lay thy happy head,
Prayer-crowned, on blessed bed.