Scripture Verse

At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. Acts 16:25

Introduction

portrait
Daniel R. Lucas (1840–1907)

Words: Da­ni­el R. Lu­cas, Ap­os­tol­ic Hymns and Songs (Os­ka­loo­sa, Io­wa: Cen­tral Book Con­cern, 1875), page 12, alt.

Music: Pri­son­er’s Song Zim­ri M. Par­vin (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

At mid­night’s ho­ly hour the saints
Sang prais­es to the Lord above,
Who al­ways hears the meek com­plaints
Of hum­ble souls that trust His love.

No pri­son wall can chain the soul,
By ho­ly truth set free from sin;
On wings of faith it seeks its goal:
At Hea­ven’s court it en­ters in.

And well they knew that God would hear,
For He is Fa­ther ov­er all;
He rules and reigns in high­est sphere,
And notes on earth the spar­row’s fall.

An earth­quake shock the pri­son door
Throws wide to free­dom’s frag­rant air;
The loos­ened stocks de­clare no more
A wor­ship­er should fet­ters wear.

Oh, let us, then, what­e’er our lot,
Remember on our pi­lgrim way,
On dow­ny couch, or pri­son cot,
In good or ill, to praise and pray.

illustration
Paul and Silas in Prison