Scripture Verse

In the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3

Introduction

Words: Tho­mas O. Sum­mers (1812–1882). Pub­lished in Hymns for Youth (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Pres­by­ter­ian Board of Pub­li­ca­tion, 1848), num­ber 353.

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Summers (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Music: So­ho Jo­seph Barn­by, 1881 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Joseph Barnby (1838–1896)

My first child was born in Jan­ua­ry, 1845. When she was about a year old, as I was des­cend­ing the Tom­big­bee River in a lit­tle steam­er, I wrote a morn­ing Hymn [sic] for her on the back of a let­ter, tran­scrib­ed it when I reached Mo­bile [Ala­ba­ma], and sent it to her at Tus­ca­loo­sa. That was the origin of The morn­ing bright.

When I was ed­it­ing the South­ern Chris­tian Ad­vo­cate, I put it with­out name in the Child’s De­part­ment. It was co­pied in­to the re­li­gious pa­pers ge­ne­ral­ly, and in­to books.

Julian, p. 1102

Lyrics

The morn­ing bright, with ro­sy light,
Has waked me up from sleep;
Father, I own Thy love alone
Thy lit­tle one doth keep.

All through the day I hum­bly pray,
Be Thou my guard and guide;
My sins for­give, and let me live,
Blest Je­sus, near Thy side.

O make Thy rest with­in my breast,
Great Spir­it of all grace;
Make me like Thee, then shall I be
Prepared to see Thy face.