Now from the Altar of My Heart

Now from the al­tar of my heart

Let in­cense flames arise;

Assist me

Lord

to of­fer up

Mine ev­en­ing sac­ri­fice.

Awake

my love! Awake

my joy!

Awake

my heart and tongue!

Sleep not: when mer­cies loud­ly call

Break forth in­to a song.

This day God was my sun and shield

My keep­er and my guide;

His care was on my frail­ty shown

His mer­cies mul­ti­plied.

Minutes and mer­cies mul­ti­plied

Have made up all this day;

Minutes came quick but mer­cies were

More fleet and free than they.

New time

new fa­vor

and new joys

Do a new song re­quire;

Till I shall praise Thee as I would

Accept my heart’s de­sire.

Man’s life’s a book of his­to­ry

The leaves there­of are days

The let­ters mer­cies close­ly joined

The ti­tle is Thy praise.

Lord of my time

whose hand hath set

New time up­on my score

Then I shall praise for all my time

When time shall be no more.