THE STORY OF THE HYMNS AND THEIR WRITERS 465 THE MIDNIGHT HYMN.
1. My God, now I from sleep awake, The sole possession of me take, From midnight terrors me secure,
And guard my heart from thoughts impure.
2. Blest angels ! while we silent lye, You Hallelujahs sing on high, You joyful hymn the ever Bless d Before the throne and never rest.
3. I with your choir celestial joyn, In offering up a hymn divine : With you in heav n I hope to dwell, And hid the night and world farewell.
5. Give me a place at Thy saints feet, Or some fallen angel s vacant seat ; I ll strive to sing as loud as they, Who sit above in brighter day.
9. Bless d Jesu, Thou on heav n intent, Whole nights hast in devotion spent, But I, frail creature, soon am tir d, And all my zeal is soon expir d.
10. My soul, how canst thou weary grow, Of antedating bliss below,
In sacred hymns, and heav nly love, Which will eternal be above?
11. Shine on me, Lord, new life impart, Fresh ardours kindle in my heart ; One ray of Thy all-quickening light, Dispels the sloth and clouds of night.
12. Lord, lest the tempter me surprize, Watch over Thine own sacrifice ; All loose, all idle thoughts cast out, And make my very dreams devout.
Each part closes with the doxology.
Wesley s references to the last two verses of the Evening- Hymn (Works, vi. 366; vii. 333; xiii. 82) show what an im pression they had made on his mind. In a letter to Hester Ann Roe (December 9, 1781) he says, How easy is it for them, who have at all times so ready an access to our souls, to impart
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