Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That Thou with wonted love wouldst keep
Thy watch around us while we sleep.

O let no evil dreams be near,
Nor phantoms of the night appear;
Our ghostly enemy restrain,
Lest aught of sin our bodies stain.

Almighty Father, hear our cry
Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high,
Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee
Doth live and reign eternally.

The day is past and gone,
The evening shades appear;
O may we all remember well
The night of death draws near.

We lay our garments by,
Upon our beds to rest;
So death shall soon disrobe us all
Of what is here possessed.

Lord, keep us safe this night,
Secure from all our fears;
May angels guard us while we sleep,
Till morning light appears.

Holy Father, bless us
As the day we close,
And the night’s refreshing
Grant us in repose.

All the day Thy presence
Made our hearts to burn,
As we heard Thy counsel,
Felt Thy love’s concern.

So tonight we pray Thee
Leave us not alone;
But through light and shadow
Keep us as Thine own.

Grant to us in slumber
To be very near,
In Thy goodness quelling
Needless doubt and fear.

When at length the dawning
Sweeps the night away,
Help us rise triumphant,
Worthy of the day.

In mercy, Lord, remember me,
Through all the hours of night,
And grant to me most graciously
The safeguard of Thy might.

With cheerful heart I close mine eyes,
Since Thou wilt not remove;
O in the morning let me rise
Rejoicing in Thy love.

Or if this night should prove my last,
And end my transient days,
Lord, take me to Thy promised rest,
Where I may sing Thy praise.

Stars of evening, softly gleaming
In the fading west,
With your heavenly light is streaming
Hope to hearts oppressed!
Toil is over, cease from sorrow,
Till tomorrow
Sleep and rest!

Hark! the evening bells are bringing
Hope of glad release,
Welcome strains their chimes are ringing:
“Labor now shall cease;
Thou the day be long and dreary,
To the weary
Cometh peace!”

Heavenly Father! watch beside us
Till the dawn of light,
And whatever may betide us,
Guard us by thy might!
Trusting in thy gracious keeping,
Calmly sleeping
Through the night.

So when death’s dark clouds fall slowly
Over land and sea,
May thy light, serene and holy,
On our pathway be;
Leading us to joy transcending
In unending
Rest with thee!

This night, O Lord, we bless Thee
For Thy protecting care,
And, ere we rest, address Thee
In lowly, fervent prayer:
From evil and temptation
Defend us through the night,
And round our habitation
Be Thou a wall of light.

On Thee our whole reliance
From day to day we cast,
To Thee, with firm affiance,
Would cleave from first to last;
To Thee, through Jesus’ merit,
For needful grace we come,
And trust that Thy good Spirit
Will guide us safely home.

What may be on the morrow
Our foresight cannot see;
But be it joy or sorrow,
We know it comes from Thee.
And nothing cane take from us,
Where’er our steps may move,
The staff of Thy sure promise,
The shield of Thy true love.

Because thy trust is God alone,
Thy refuge is the Highest One;
No evil shall upon thee come,
Nor plague approach thy guarded home.

Angelic guards at His commands
Will bear thee safely in their hands,
Will keep thee, lest, if left alone,
Thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Though fierce and treacherous foes assail,
Their power and wrath shall not prevail;
Their cruel strength, their venomed spite,
Thou shalt o’ercome with conquering might.

Because on Me he set his love,
I will his constant Savior prove,
And since to him My Name is known,
I will exalt him as Mine own.

As oft as he shall call me on Me,
Most gracious shall My answer be;
I will be with him in distress,
And in his trouble I will bless.

Complete deliverance I will give,
And honor him while he shall live;
Abundant life I will bestow,
To him, My full salvation show.

Ye sons of men, a feeble race,
Exposed to every snare,
Come, make the Lord your dwelling place,
And try and trust His care.

No ill shall enter where you dwell;
Or if the plague come nigh,
And sweep the wicked down to hell,
’Twill raise His saints on high.

He’ll give His angels charge to keep
Your feet in all their ways;
To watch your pillow while you sleep,
And guard your happy days.

Their hands shall bear you, lest you fall
And dash against the stones:
Are they not servants at His call,
And sent t’attend His sons?

Adders and lions ye shall tread;
The tempter’s wiles defeat;
He that hath broke the serpent’s head
Puts him beneath your feet.

“Because on Me they set their love,
I’ll save them,” saith the Lord;
“I’ll bear their joyful souls above
Destruction and the sword.

“My grace shall answer when they call,
In trouble I’ll be nigh;
My power shall help them when they fall,
And raise them when they die.

“They that on earth My Name have known
I’ll honor them in Heav’n;
There My salvation shall be shown,
And endless live be giv’n.”

All praise be to God, whom all things obey,
From angels and men for ever and aye:
Who sendeth on earth the powers of His throne,
His providence good and love to make known.

His angels are they of countenance fair,
The arm of His strength, His hand of kind care:
His message of peace to us they reveal,
His wisdom most high they seal or unseal.

By martyrs of old they stood in the flame,
And bade them not flinch, but call on God’s Name.
Thro’ torment, thro’ shame, thro’ darkness of death
They led without fear the sires of our faith.

They stand with the few, they fight for the free,
God’s reign to advance o’er land and o’er sea:
And when the brave die or fall in the fight,
Their spirits they bear to rest in God’s sight.

For patience and toil a crown they prepare;
They found for the meek a kingdom full fair;
No famine nor plague ’gainst them doth prevail;
Their bread cannot lack, their cruse cannot fail.

We pray Thee, who art Thy angels’ reward,
Thy flock to defend forget not, O Lord;
But prosper their aid, that us they may bring
To see the true face of Jesus, our King.

Around the throne of God a band
Of bright and glorious angels stand;
Sweet harps within their hands they hold,
And on their heads are crowns of gold.

Some wait around Him ready still
To sing His praise and do His will,
And some, when He commands them, go
To guard His servants here below.

Lord, give Thine angels every day
Command to guard us on our way,
And bid them every evening keep
Their watch around us while we sleep.

So shall no wicked thing draw near
To do us harm or cause us fear;
And we shall dwell, when life is past,
With angels round Thy throne at last.

Call Jehovah thy salvation, rest beneath th’Almighty’s shade.
In His secret habitation dwell, and never be dismayed.
There no tumult shall alarm thee, thou shalt dread no hidden snare.
Guile nor violence can harm thee, in eternal safeguard there.

From the sword at noonday wasting, from the noisome pestilence,
In the depth of midnight blasting, God shall be thy sure defense.
He shall charge His angel legions watch and ward over thee to keep.
Though thou walk through hostile regions, though in desert wilds thou sleep.

Since, with pure and firm affection, thou on God hast set thy love,
With the wings of His protection, He will shield thee from above.
Thou shalt call on Him in trouble, He will hearken, He will save.
Here for grief reward thee double, crown with life beyond the grave.

Christ, the fair glory of the holy angels,
Thou Who hast made us, Thou Who o’er us rulest,
Grant of Thy mercy unto us Thy servants
Steps up to Heaven.

Send Thy archangel, Michael, to our succor;
Peacemaker blessèd, may he banish from us
Striving and hatred, so that for the peaceful
All things may prosper.

Send Thy archangel, Gabriel, the mighty;
Herald of Heaven, may he from us mortals
Spurn the old serpent, watching o’er the temples
Where Thou art worshipped.

Send thy archangel, Raphael, the restorer
Of the misguided ways of men who wander,
Who at Thy bidding strengthens soul and body
With Thine anointing.

Father almighty, Son and Holy Spirit,
God ever blessèd, be Thou our Preserver;
Thine is the glory which the angels worship,
Veiling their faces.

Jesus, Brightness of the Father,
Life and Strength of all who live,
For creating guardian angels
Glory to Thy Name we give
And Thy wondrous praise rehearse,
Singing in harmonious verse.

Blessèd Lord, by their protection
Shelter us from harm this day,
Keep us pure in flesh and spirit,
Save us from the Foe, we pray,
And vouchsafe us by Thy grace
In Thy paradise a place.

Glory to th’almighty Father
Sing we with the heav’nly host;
Glory to the great Redeemer,
Glory to the Holy Ghost;
Three in One and One in Three,
Throughout all eternity!

Lord, I would own Thy tender care,
And all Thy love to me;
The food I eat, the clothes I wear,
Are all bestowed by Thee.

’Tis Thou preservest me from death
And dangers every hour;
I cannot draw another breath
Unless Thou give me power.

Kind angels guard me every night,
As round my bed they stay:
Nor am I absent from Thy sight
In darkness or by day.

My health, and friends, and parents dear,
To me by God are giv’n;
I have not any blessing here
But what is sent from Heav’n.

Such goodness, Lord, and constant care,
I never can repay;
But may it be my daily prayer,
To love Thee and obey.

Now all the woods are sleeping,
And night and stillness creeping
O’er city, man, and beast;
But thou, my heart, awake thee,
To prayer awhile betake thee,
And praise thy Maker ere thou rest.

My Jesus, stay Thou by me,
And let no foe come nigh me,
Safe sheltered by Thy wing;
But would the foe alarm me,
O let him never harm me,
But still Thine angels round me sing!

My loved ones, rest securely,
From every peril surely
Our God will guard your heads;
And happy slumbers send you,
And bid His hosts attend you,
And golden armed watched o’er your beds.

Onward, Christian, though the region
Where thou art be drear and lone;
God has set a guardian legion
Very near thee; press thou on.

By the thorn road, and none other,
Is the mount of vision won;
Tread it without shrinking, brother,
Jesus trod it; press thou on.

Be this world the wiser, stronger,
For thy life of pain and peace;
While it needs thee, oh, no longer
Pray thou for thy quick release.

Pray thou, Christian, daily rather
That thou be a faithful son,
By the prayer of Jesus, “Father
Not my will, but Thine, be done.”

Softly sighs the breath of evening,
Stealing through the shadowy grove,
While the stars, in heaven shining,
Keep their silent watch above.

Heav’nly Father, while we’re sleeping,
Send Thy guardian angels bright,
Faithful watch above us keeping,
To protect us through the night.

When the morning, gently breaking,
Tints the sky with golden rays,
May Thy loving children, waking,
Sing their heav’nly Father’s praise.