Sun of My Soul, Thou Savior Dear

502 Sun of My Soul, Thou Savior Dear

1 Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear,
   it is not night if Thou be near;
   O may no earthborn cloud arise,
   to hide Thee from Thy servant's eyes.

2 When the soft dews of kindly sleep
   my weary eyelids gently steep,
   be my last thought how sweet to rest
   forever on my Savior's breast.

3 Abide with me from morn till eve,
   for without Thee I cannot live;
   abide with me when night is nigh,
   for without Thee I dare not die.

4 If some poor wand'ring child of Thine
   has spurned today the voice divine,
   now, Lord, the gracious work begin;
   let him no more lie down in sin.

5 Watch by the sick; enrich the poor
   with blessings from Thy boundless store;
   be every mourner's sleep tonight
   like infant's slumbers, pure and light.

6 Come near and bless us when we wake,
   ere through the world our way we take,
   till in the ocean of Thy love
   we lose ourselves in heav'n above.
                         John Keble
                         The Methodist Hymnal, 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I don't recall ever singing this hymn, but it occurs in almost 1500 hymnals. It does seem to fit my mood today, though…
</idle musing>