The Sabbath Day Has Reached Its Close

Representative Text

1 The Sabbath-day has reached its close,
Yet, Saviour, ere I seek repose,
Grant me the peace thy love bestows:
Smile on my evening hour.

2 Weary I come to thee for rest;
Hallow and calm my troubled breast;
Grant me thy Spirit for my guest:
Smile on my evening hour.

3 Let not the gospel seed remain
Unfruitful, or be sown in vain;
Let heavenly dews descend like rain:
Smile on my evening hour.

4 O Jesus, Lord enthroned on high,
Thou hearest the contrite spirit's sigh;
Look down on me with pitying eye:
Smile on my evening hour.

5 My only intercessor thou,
Mingle thy fragrant incense now
With every prayer, and every vow:
Smile on my evening hour.

6 And, oh, when time's short course shall end,
And death's dark shades around impend,
My God, my everlasting Friend,
Smile on my evening hour.

Source: Laudes Domini: a selection of spiritual songs ancient and modern #174

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Author: Charlotte Elliott

Elliott, Charlotte, daughter of Charles Elliott, of Clapham and Brighton, and granddaughter of the Rev. H. Venn, of Huddersfield, was born March 18, 1789. The first 32 years of her life were spent mostly at Clapham. In 1823 she removed to Brighton, and died there Sept. 22, 1871. To her acquaintance with Dr. C. Malan, of Geneva, is attributed much of the deep spiritual-mindedness which is so prominent in her hymns. Though weak and feeble in body, she possessed a strong imagination, and a well-cultured and intellectual mind. Her love of poetry and music was great, and is reflected in her verse. Her hymns number about 150, a large percentage of which are in common use. The finest and most widely known of these are, "Just as I am” and "My God… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	The Sabbath day has reached its close
Title:	The Sabbath Day Has Reached Its Close
Author:	Charlotte Elliott
Language:	English
Refrain First Line:	Smile on my evening hour
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Notes

The Sabbath day has reached its close. Charlotte Elliott. [Sunday Evening.] First published in Elliott's Psalms and Hymns, 1835, in 5 stanzas of 3 lines, with the refrain, "Smile on my evening hour." In 1839 it was enlarged to 7 stanzas, the 3rd and 4th stanzas, as in modern collections, being added, and republished in her Hymns for a Week. This latter text is found in Snepp's Songs of Grace & Glory, 1872, with the refrain lengthened to form a L.M. hymn, “Oh, smile upon my evening hour." It is given in a large number of modern hymn-books.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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