Scripture Verse

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Proverbs 3:24

Introduction

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems 1740, page 131. At Lying Down.

Music: Rest (Brad­bu­ry) Wil­liam B. Brad­bu­ry, 1843 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

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William Bradbury
(1816–1868)

Lyrics

How do Thy mer­cies close me round!
For ev­er be Thy name ado­red!
I blush in all things to abound;
The ser­vant is abo­ve his Lord.

Inured to po­ver­ty and pain,
A suf­fer­ing life my mas­ter led,
The Son of God, the Son of man,
He had not where to lay His head.

But lo! A place He hath pre­pared
For me, whom watch­ful angels keep;
Nay, He Him­self becomes my guard,
He smoothes my bed, and gives me sleep.

Jesus pro­tects; my fears be gone!
What can the Rock of Ag­es move?
Safe in Thy arms I lay me down,
Thy ev­er­last­ing arms of love!

While Thou art in­ti­mate­ly nigh,
Who, who shall vio­late my rest?
Sin, earth, and hell I now de­fy,
I lean up­on my Sav­ior’s breast.

I rest be­neath th’Al­migh­ty’s shade;
My griefs ex­pire, my trou­bles cease;
Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,
Wilt keep me still in per­fect peace.

Me for Thine own Thou lov’st to take,
In time, and in eter­ni­ty;
Thou ne­ver, ne­ver wilt for­sake
A help­less worm that trusts in Thee.

Wherefore in con­fi­dence I close
My eyes, for Thine are op­en still;
My spir­it lulled in calm re­pose,
Waits for the coun­sels of Thy will.

After Thy like­ness let me rise,
If here Thou will’st my long­er stay,
Or close in mor­tal sleep my eyes,
To open them in end­less day.

Still let me run, or end my race;
I can­not choose, I all re­sign;
Contract or length­en out my days;
Come life, come death; for Christ is mine.