Hushed was the evening hymn

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(6 6.6 6.8 8.)

Composed for “Church Hymns with Tunes”, S.P.C.K., 1874, and appears there in this version rather
than the four part arrangement found in many hymn books.
This tune appears in some hymn books as “Samuel”.

1	Hushed was the evening hymn,			2	The old man, meek and mild,
		The temple courts were dark,				The priest of Israel, slept;
	The lamp was burning dim				His watch the temple child,
		Before the sacred ark,				The little Levite, kept:
			When suddenly a voice divine Rang through the silence of the shrine.				And what from Eli’s sense was sealed The Lord to Hannah’s son revealed.

3	Oh! give me Samuel’s ear,			4	Oh! give me Samuel’s heart,
		The open ear, O Lord,				A lowly heart, that waits
	Alive and quick to hear				When in Thy house Thou art
		Each whisper of Thy word;				Or watches at Thy gates
			Like him to answer at Thy call, And to obey Thee first of all.				By day and night — a heart that still Moves at the breathing of Thy will.

5	Oh! give me Samuel’s mind,
		A sweet unmurmuring faith,
	Obedient and resigned
		To Thee in life and death,
			That I may read with childlike eyes Truths that are hidden from the wise.

James Drummond Burns, 1823 - 64.

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Page modified 20 November 2007