Evening Hymn

Sleep, downy sleep, come, close mine eyes

Author: Thomas Flatman
Tune: UFFINGHAM (Clarke)
Published in 16 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Sleep, downy sleep, come, close mine eyes
Tir'd with beholding vanites.
Welcome sweet sleep and chase away,
The toils and follies of the day.

2 On thy soft bosom, will I lie,
Forget the world, and learn to die,
O Israel's wathcful shepherd spread,
Thy guardian angels round my bed.

3 Let not the spirits of the air,
While I lie slumb'ring me insnare;
But gurad thy suppliant free from harm
Claspt in thine everlasting arm.

4 Clouds ant thick darkness are thy throne
Thy wonderful pavilion,
O dart from thence one heav'nly ray,
And then my midnigh shall be day.

5 Thus when the morn in crimson dress,
Break through the windows of the east,
My thankful hymns of praise shall rise,
Like incense of the sacrifice.

Source: A Selection of Psalms and Hymns: done under the appointment of the Philadelphian Association #CCLV

Author: Thomas Flatman

Flatman, Thomas, poet and miniature painter, was born in London, cir. 1633, and died cir. 1688. He was a barrister of the Inner Temple, but gave most of his time to poetry and painting. He was the author of some Pindaric Odes on the deaths of Prince Rupert, and of Charles II.; and of a prose satire on Richard Cromwell. His Poems & Songs were published in 1674 (3rd edition 1682), and from this volume the following hymns have been transferred to Dr. Martineau's Hymns, 1840, and his Hymns of Praise and Prayer, 1873:— "Awake, my soul, awake, mine eyes " (Morning); “Sweet slumbers, come and chase away" (Evening). The similarity of these hymns to the Morning and Evening hymns of Bp. Ken suggests the possibility that they may have inspired… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Sleep, downy sleep, come, close mine eyes
Title: Evening Hymn
Author: Thomas Flatman
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 16 of 16)
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A Choice Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the use of Christians #667

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A Collection of Hymns, for the Christian Church and Home #367

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #255

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #255

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Church Chorals and Choir Studies #38

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Hymns of the Ages #173

Hymns, Selected from Various Authors, for the Use of Young Persons 3rd Am. from 9th London ed. #d200

Hymns, Selected from Various Authors, for the Use of Young Persons #d187

Musica Sacra; or Springfield and Utica Collections United #d129

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Musica Sacra #108b

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The Middlesex Collection of Church Music #109

The Musical Olio #d2

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The New England Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs #111

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #CCLV

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