an Evening/Morning Hymn for 20 May 2025 Anno Domini,
the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My speech shall distil as the dew, As the small rain upon the tender herb, And as the showers upon the grass. (Deuteronomy 32:2)
This grand old hymn is intended for Family Worship in Morning and Evening Prayer. Ironically, it is listed in the standard Hymnary as a ‘New Song;’ however, it is anything but a new song. It is a classic hymn written by the great Issac Watts (1674-1748) in 1709. The hymn appears as #307 in the Protestant Episcopal Church Hymnal of 1871. The tune is ‘Gratitude’ by Paul Bost (1837).
Click here to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh4QbDQ21YY
MY GOD, HOW ENDLESS IS THY LOVE
1 My God, how endless is thy love
Thy gifts are every evening new,
And morning mercies from above
Gently distil like early dew.
2 Thou spread’st the curtain of the night,
Great Guardian of my sleeping hours
Thy sovereign word restores the light,
And quickens all my drowsy powers.
3 I yield my powers to thy command,
To thee I consecrate my days
Perpetual blessings from thy hand
Demand perpetual songs of praise.
1 My God, how endless is thy love Thy gifts are every evening new, And morning mercies from above Gently distil like early dew. If your God is not the Lord, there would be no point in singing this hymn for it is addressed to ‘MY’ God. The love of God is a swelling tide to those who love Him, and it is of no consequence to those who do. The blessing of God often come silently as the dew distills upon the morning rose. You can not see the dew form, but you can witness its result. So is the work of the Holy spirit working in the darkness of the covert of the heart to bring forth light at the dawn of our early morn.
2 Thou spread’st the curtain of the night, Great Guardian of my sleeping hours Thy sovereign word restores the light, And quickens all my drowsy powers. While the children sleep, the Father stands watch over their soul. The fall of darkness comes with the lengthening shadows of twilight, and rest is granted in the blessing of sleep. But though we rest in peace, the Lord gives us songs in the night and holds forth the promise of coming light at morning’s glories rising. The dwindling sleep is vanquished as a vapor of the meadows, and our daily strength is renewed.
3 I yield my powers to thy command, To thee I consecrate my days Perpetual blessings from thy hand Demand perpetual songs of praise. In all truth, we have no such power to surrender. All power belongs to god from whom we merely borrow for a time. The only surrender that counts is the surrender of our old, fleshly self-will in exchange for that Mind which was in Christ Jesus. Then, and then only, are we free indeed. Not just on the weekly Sabbath, but every day must be consecrated to God. Every breath is a gift of life from God the Father. It is a constant gift of such life; however, this earthly life is limited in years; but the life our Lord offers is an eternal life with Him in His Heaven beyond the Gates of Splendor. Such a tide of blessings demand a tide of praise in song and worship. That is the true purpose of hymn-singing. It is not man-centered worship that merits the favor of God, but God-centered worship. Therefore , we place Christ in the center of all our worship – not man.
Quote: “Praise is the rehearsal for our eternal song. Jesus! it is the name which moves the harps of heaven to melody. Jesus! the life of all our joys. If there be one name more charming, more precious than another, it is this name. It is woven into the very warp and woof of our psalmody.” Charles Spurgeon
