Sweet Saviour, Bless Us Ere We Go / O Gentle Jesus be our Light

This is a hymn for evening - which can also be used at the end of daytime church services if the final verse is not sung.

The words were written by English theologian, hymnwriter, Church of England minister and later Roman Catholic priest, Frederick William Faber (1814-1863).

With meter 8.8.8.8.8.8, tunes it is set to include:

ST. MATTHIAS (Monk) by William H. Monk (1823-1889) - the most commonly published tune
SUNSET (St Philip) aka FABER by George Herbert
STELLA, an old English tune 1851
IN TENEBRIS LUMEN by John Bacchus Dykes
CHRISTCHURCH
VALETE by Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842-1900)
ST PETERSBURG by Dimitri Bortnitansky 1752-1828
SURREY by Henry Carey (1723)

Downloads

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PowerPoint slides

Examples

Choir, unaccompanied, tune SUNSET / FABER

Choir with organ

Singer with backing track - new tune

Instrumental - piano. Tune ST. MATTHIAS (Monk)

Instrumental - piano. Tune SUNSET (ST PHILIP)

Instrumental -piano. Tune STELLA

Lyrics

Traditional language

1. Sweet Savior, bless us ere we go;

Thy Word into our minds instill,

And make our lukewarm hearts to glow

With lowly love and fervent will.

Chorus:

Through life’s long day and death’s dark night,

O gentle Jesus, be our Light.

2. The day is done, it's hours have run,

And Thou hast taken count of all,

The scanty triumphs grace hath won,

The broken vow, the frequent fall.

3. Grant us, dear Lord, from evil ways

True absolution and release:

And bless us, more than in past days,

With purity and inward peace.

4. Do more than pardon; give us joy,

Sweet fear, and sober liberty,

And simple hearts without alloy

That only long to be like Thee.

5. Labor is sweet, for Thou hast toiled,

And care is light, for Thou hast cared;

Let not our works with self be soiled,

Nor in unsimple ways ensnared.

6. For all we love, the poor, the sad,

The sinful, unto Thee we call;

O let Thy mercy make us glad:

Thou art our Jesus, and our All.

7. Sweet Savior, bless us; night is come;

Through night and darkness near us be;

Good angels watch about our home,

And we are one day nearer Thee.

Modern English

1 O Saviour, bless us ere we go;

thy word into our minds instil,

and make our lukewarm hearts to glow

with lowly love and fervent will.

Chorus:

Through life's long day and death's dark night,

O gentle Jesus, be our Light.

2 The day is done, its hours have run,

and thou hast taken count of all,

the scanty triumphs grace hath won,

the broken vow, the frequent fall.

3 Grant us, dear Lord, from evil ways

true absolution and release;

and bless us, more than in past days,

with purity and inward peace.

4 Do more than pardon; give us joy,

sweet fear and sober liberty,

and simple hearts without alloy

that only long to be like thee.

5 For all we love, the poor, the sad,

the sinful, unto thee we call;

O let thy mercy make us glad:

thou art our Jesus, and our All.