Father, in High Heaven Dwelling

Father in high Heaven dwelling,
May our evening song be telling
Of Thy mercy large and free:
Through the day Thy love hath fed us,
Through the day Thy care hath led us
With divinest charity.

This day’s sins, O pardon, Savior,
Evil thoughts, perverse behavior,
Envy, pride, and vanity;
From the world, the flesh, deliver,
Save us now, and save us ever,
O Lamb of Calvary!

From enticements of the devil,
From the might of spirits evil,
Be our shield and panoply:
Let Thy pow’r this night defend us,
And a heavenly peace attend us,
And angelic company.

While the night dews are distilling,
Holy Ghost, each heart be filling
With Thine own serenity:
Softly let our eyes be closing
Loving souls on Thee reposing,
Ever blessèd Trinity.

Author: George Rawson

Year: 1853

This evening hymn is a well-known work by English Congregationalist hymnwriter George Rawson (1807–1889), first published in his 1853 collection. The text matches exactly with his original three-stanza version (a fourth stanza sometimes appears in later hymnals but is not by Rawson). No significant alternate attributions exist.