Scripture Verse

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet. Ecclesiastes 5:12

Introduction

Words: Tho­mas Hast­ings, Spi­ri­tu­al Songs for So­cial Wor­ship (Uti­ca, New York: 1831), num­ber 235, part 2.

Music: Hal­le (Haydn), at­trib­ut­ed to Franz J. Hay­dn (1732–1809) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

  • Steele ano­ny­mous, in The Church Hym­na­ry, ed­it­ed by Ed­win A. Be­dell (New York: May­nard, Mer­rill, 1893), num­ber 851 (🔊 pdf nwc)
portrait
Thomas Hastings (1784–1872)

Lyrics

Now from la­bor and from care,
Evening shades have set me free;
In the work of praise and pray­er,
Lord, I would con­verse with Thee:
O, be­hold me from above,
Fill me with a Sav­ior’s love.

Sin and sor­row, guilt and woe,
Wither all my earth­ly joys;
Naught can charm me here be­low,
But my Sav­ior’s melt­ing voice.
Lord, for­give, Thy grace re­store;
Make me Thine for ev­er­more.

For the bless­ings of this day,
For the mer­cies of this hour;
For the Gos­pel’s cheer­ing ray,
For the Spi­rit’s quick­en­ing pow­er,
Grateful notes to Thee I raise,
Oh, ac­cept my song of praise.