1 They leave their place on high,
They leave their place on high,
They leave the everlasting hymn
Where cherubim and seraphim
All ceaselessly do cry,
All ceaselessly do cry.
2 They come to us by day,
They come to us by day,
While, great and small, through joy and woe,
Along our earthly course we go,
To guard us on our way,
To guard us on our way.
3 They slumber not nor sleep,
They slumber not nor sleep,
Whom you have sent, O God of light,
Around your own the livelong night
Their watch and ward to keep,
Their watch and ward to keep.
4 All glory be to you,
All glory be to you,
For those who at your bidding go
To guard and keep us here below,
Most holy Trinity,
Most holy Trinity.
Source: Christian Worship (1993): a Lutheran hymnal #197
John M. Neale's life is a study in contrasts: born into an evangelical home, he had sympathies toward Rome; in perpetual ill health, he was incredibly productive; of scholarly temperament, he devoted much time to improving social conditions in his area; often ignored or despised by his contemporaries, he is lauded today for his contributions to the church and hymnody. Neale's gifts came to expression early–he won the Seatonian prize for religious poetry eleven times while a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, England. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1842, but ill health and his strong support of the Oxford Movement kept him from ordinary parish ministry. So Neale spent the years between 1846 and 1866 as a warden of Sackvi… Go to person page >
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