The restless day now closeth

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The restless day now closeth

Author: Paul Gerhardt
Tune: INNSBRUCK
Published in 3 hymnals

Piano/Organ
	Communion Hymns for Organ, Vol. 2

Representative Text

1 The restless day now closeth,
Each flow'r and tree reposeth,
Shade creeps o'er wild and wood:
Let us, as night is falling,
On God our Maker calling,
Give thanks to Him, the Giver good.

2 Now all the heav'nly splendor
Breaks forth in starlight tender
From myriad worlds unknown;
And man, the marvel seeing,
Forgets his selfish being,
For joy of beauty not his own.

3 While all in peace reposeth,
And starry night discloseth
The glory of the Lord,
My prayers and yearnings wander
To realms of glory yonder,
Where saints of God have their reward.

4 When life's brief day is over,
And twilight shadows cover
The last end of my way,
Dear Lord and blessed Saviour,
Forgive my heart's behavior,
And grant me Thou a brighter day.

Amen.

Source: The Hymnal and Order of Service #560

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Author: Paul Gerhardt

Paul Gerhardt (b. Gräfenheinichen, Saxony, Germany, 1607; d. Lubben, Germany, 1676), famous author of Lutheran evangelical hymns, studied theology and hymnody at the University of Wittenberg and then was a tutor in Berlin, where he became friends with Johann Crüger. He served the Lutheran parish of Mittenwalde near Berlin (1651-1657) and the great St. Nicholas' Church in Berlin (1657-1666). Friederich William, the Calvinist elector, had issued an edict that forbade the various Protestant groups to fight each other. Although Gerhardt did not want strife between the churches, he refused to comply with the edict because he thought it opposed the Lutheran "Formula of Concord," which condemned some Calvinist doctrines. Consequently, he was r… Go to person page >

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