1 Darkness o'er the earth is stealing--
In my lonely chamber kneeling,
I will say my evening prayer,
Longing for a closer union,
With my God I hold communion
And commit me to His care.
2 Yes, it is a blessed favor
To commune with Thee, my Savior,
Filled with hope and faith sincere;
Cheer my heart, my burden lighten--
May Thy word my pathway brighten,
To my prayer incline Thine ear!
3 Thee, my God, I fain would follow,
Love and honor, but how shallow
And inconstant is my love!
Spread the veil of mercy over
All my sins, my errors cover
With compassion from above!
4 Let Thine eye be vigil keeping
Over me while I am sleeping.
And my waking moments heed;
May Thy love be unabated,
Be with those who are elated,
And those who are in need!
5 Help the wanderer, cold and weary,
On the highway dark and dreary--
May he find a open door!
Those who on the stormy ocean
Ply their trade 'mid wild commotion--
Guide them safely to the shore!
6 Hear the sick who are imploring
Thee for aid, their health restoring,
To the dying comfort bring!
Christ, who bore our sin and sorrow,
Grant them that the dawning morrow
Come with healing on its wing.
7 When at last the shadows darken,
Come and to my prayer, O hearken,
Set us all from bondage free;
Then, beyond this vale of sorrow,
There shall dawn a brighter morrow,
When Thy face in heaven we see.
Source: The Lutheran Hymnary #558
Magnus Brostrup Landstad (born 7 October 1802 in Måsøy, Norway and died 8 October 1880 in Kristiania) was a Norwegian minister, psalmist and poet who published the first collection of authentic Norwegian traditional ballads in 1853. This work was criticized for unscientific methods, but today it is commonly accepted that he contributed significantly to the preservation of the traditional ballads.
Landstad lived with his father Hans Landstad (1771–1838) who was also a minister, first in 1806 to Øksnes, to Vinje in 1811 and to Seljord in 1819. He took a theological degree (cand. theol) in 1827, and worked after that as the resident chaplain in Gausdal for six years. After that he worked in different parishes in Telemark, Østfold befo… Go to person page >
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