Scripture Verse

Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2

Introduction

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Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Words: Is­aac Watts, Hymns and Spi­ri­tu­al Songs 1707–09, Book 2, num­ber 7.

Music: Ev­an Will­iam H. Ha­ver­gal, 1847. Ar­ranged by Lo­well Ma­son in the New Car­mi­na Sac­ra (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: 1850) (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Lowell Mason (1792–1872)

Lyrics

Dread So­ve­reign! let my ev­en­ing song
Like ho­ly in­cense rise;
Assist the of­fer­ings of my tongue
To reach the lof­ty skies.

Through all the dan­gers of the day
Thy hand was still my guard,
And still to drive my wants away
Thy mer­cy stood pre­pared.

Perpetual bless­ings from above
Encompass me around,
But O how few re­turns of love
Hath my cre­at­or found!

What have I done for Him that died
To save my wretch­ed soul?
How are my fol­lies mul­ti­plied,
Fast as my min­utes roll!

Lord, with this guil­ty heart of mine
To Thy dear cross I flee;
And to Thy grace my soul re­sign,
To be re­newed by Thee.

Sprinkled afresh by par­don­ing blood,
I lay me down to rest,
As in th’em­braces of my God,
Or on my Sav­ior’s breast.