A Prayer At Going To Bed Poem by Rees Prichard

THOU, that dost guard thy people, and protect!
Thou castle of defence, the weak to keep!
For Jesu's sake, do not my suit reject,
But hear my cry, before I go to sleep.

Almighty God! upon my bended knee
By my bedside, I now most humbly own,
That I'm not worthy to lift up to thee
My eyes - much less then to approach thy throne.

And yet I still presume to hope that I
Shall get thee (for my blessed Saviour's sake)
Not only to give ear unto my cry,
But to accord whate'er request I make.

Be thou, my strength, and kind protector still -
Be thou my prop, and guardian of my right -
Be thou, my shield from each impending ill,
That may befal me, e'en this very night!

Lord! I am going now to my repose,
And die I must, but can't say where, or when:
For once he falls asleep, no mortal knows
Whether, or no, he e'er shall wake agen.

Good reason, then, that man shou'd recommend
His soul, each night, unto his Maker's care,
And make him, e'er he goes to rest, his friend,
Lest he shou'd ne'er again breathe vital air.

On which account, I come, this night, to thee,
My guardian, and my God, whom I adore!
With contrite heart, and with a bended knee,
Thy mercy and assistance to implore.

Be thou my fort, and castle of defence -
Be thou, my rock of strength, my secret den -
To keep me safe, this night, from all offence,
And shelter me from ill-designing men!

The lion, who ne'er sleep nor slumber knew,
Wou'd fain devour me, both by night and day,
And I can see no method to eschew
My fate, shou'dst thou to baulk him of his prey.

Receive me, then, to thy paternal breast,
And in thy fost'ring bosom safely keep,
That I, this night, may comfortably rest,
Lull'd in the arms of mercy fast asleep.

Extend thy wide-stretch'd pinions o'er my head,
And screen me from the insults of my foes,
That I, beneath them, free from any dread,
May find a sweet and undisturb'd repose.

Place thou a band of angels round my bed,
To guard me from all terrors and alarms,
And bid them, o'er me, their gay pinions spread,
To shade me whilst I'm sleeping in thy arms.

Do thou thyself, with thine all-seeing eye,
Watch o'er me, with a care beyond the rest,
Lest any thing injurious shou'd come nigh,
And hurt me, whilst I am with sleep opprest.

Give me this night, and at all other times,
An unannoy'd repose, and tranquil peace -
Give to my soul, true bliss, undash'd with crimes -
Give to my body, its due rest and ease:

And, lest I shou'd unto my doom be led,
Whilst yet scarce wak'd from sleep, and unaware,
Let me not, any night, e'er go to bed,
Before I for that aweful scene prepare.

Never let sleep upon my eyes descend,
'Till I have pleaded hard with thee - and 'till
I on my pardon fully may depend,
For all I did, repugnant to thy will.

Make me confess each wrong and injury,
Each crime, and ev'ry frailty of my soul -
That, after I've confess'd them all to thee,
I may obtain remission of the whole.

Make thou me weep, O Lord! and grieve full sore,
Because I've div'd so very deep in sin:
Make thou me wail, as no one wail'd before,
Because my life so very loose hath been.

Make me retire to bed, each night I live,
As true a penitent, as if I knew
I shou'd not for another night survive,
Wherein I might again repentance shew.

Make thou me earnestly for pardon sue
(Through the dear blood and passion of thy son)
For all the sins that I did ever do,
That they may be forgiven, ev'ry one.

In the Lamb's blood wash thou all o'er thy slave -
The Lamb, that was for our redemption slain!
And bury all my vices in his grave,
And never suffer them to rise again.

O, do not any of my sins enroll,
But from thy book eraze them ev'ry one,
Lest one alone shou'd sink with shame my soul,
When I appear before thy aweful throne.

Let me each hour, both of the day and night,
Be always in the nuptial robe array'd,
My lamp well fill'd with oil, and blazing bright,
Waiting my Saviour's Advent undismay'd.

Assure, beyond all doubt, my fainting heart,
That there's reserv'd for me a glorious lot,
And that I shall enjoy no trivial part
Of that vast bliss, Christ for his brethren got.

I, therefore, now, O Lord, will lay me down
In peace, to take my necessary sleep:
For it is only thou, O God! I own
That dost mean while my soul in safety keep.