The Day Thou Gavest

Heather Allington

Heather writes for Sunday Song Book on behalf of the The Salvation Army Oshawa. As a lifelong member of the Army, she has loved these familiar - and some less familiar - songs for many years, and enjoys researching and writing about their origins. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired elementary school teacher who likes trying her hand at watercolour painting and poetry writing.

The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended;
The darkness falls at Thy behest;
To Thee our morning hymns ascended;
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

We thank Thee that Thy Church unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.

As o’er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day,
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.

The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren ‘neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.

So be it, Lord;Thy throne shall never,
Like earth’s proud empires, pass away;
Thy Kingdom stands, and grows forever,
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.

Although this hymn is in the “Benediction” section of the 2015 Salvation Army Song Book, and the “Evening” section of the 1987 one, it relates well to our ongoing
“Partners in Mission” time, as it speaks of the worldwide Christian Church. How wonderful to realise that at all hours of each day, someone in the world is communing with our Lord! Although there are hundreds of languages and cultures involved, we all worship and serve one God, who loves us all.

This hymn was selected by Queen Victoria for her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, and sung in thousands of churches in British domains around the world. It has often topped the charts in the BBC’s “Songs of Praise” polls.

The song’s author, John Ellerton, was born in London, England in 1826, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, obtaining a B.A. degree in 1849 and an M.A. in 1854. He held successive posts as curate, vicar, chaplain, and rector in various British towns. Ellerton was most noted as a hymnologist, editor, hymnwriter and translator. He wrote about fifty original hymns, and translated at least ten from Latin. Many of his hymns, like the one above, are still in common use.

WORDS: JOHN ELLERTON MUSIC: (TUNE – ST. CLEMENTS) REV. CLEMENT SCHOLEFIELD, EDITED BY ARTHUR SULLIVAN
S.A.SONG BOOK, 1987 EDITION, #677; 2015 EDITION, #1039
REFERENCES: USAWEST.ORG HYMNARY.ORG TELEGRAPH.CO.UK