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| THE NIGHT is come, like to the day; | |
| Depart not Thou, great God, away. | |
| Let not my sins, black as the night, | |
| Eclipse the lustre of thy light. | |
| Keep still in my horizon; for to me | 5 |
| The sun makes not the day, but Thee. | |
| Thou whose nature cannot sleep, | |
| On my temples sentry keep! | |
| Guard me ’gainst those watchful foes, | |
| Whose eyes are open while mine close; | 10 |
| Let no dreams my head infest, | |
| But such as Jacob’s temples blest. | |
| While I do rest, my soul advance; | |
| Make my sleep a holy trance, | |
| That I may, my rest being wrought, | 15 |
| Awake into some holy thought; | |
| And with as active vigour run | |
| My course as doth the nimble sun. | |
| Sleep is a death; oh! make me try, | |
| By sleeping, what it is to die; | 20 |
| And as gently lay my head | |
| On my grave, as now my bed. | |
| Howe’er I rest, great God, let me | |
| Awake again at last with Thee. | |
| And thus assured, behold I lie | 25 |
| Securely, or to wake or die. | |
| These are my drowsy days; in vain | |
| I do now wake to sleep again: | |
| Oh! come that hour, when I shall never | |
| Sleep again, but wake for ever. | 30 |
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