How A Person Ought To Rouse Up Both Body And Soul, In The Dead Of Night, To Praise His God Poem by Rees Prichard

Awake, my sluggish soul! from sleep awake,
And with a heart sincere attempt to sing
(In the most daring flight thy thoughts can take)
The glorious praises of th' eternal King!

Awake, awake - for thou hast wond'rous cause,
And, like the nightingale, thy vigils keep,
To give the Lord his justly-due applause,
Nor spare an hour of all the night to sleep.

Awake, awake, and to thy mind recall
The mercies shewn thee by the Lord, each morn,
And how the bless'd Redeemer of us all
Supported thee, e'er since thou first wert born.

'Tis He alone, that can assistance bring,
He is thy way, thy strength, and thy defence,
Thy Rock, thy Christ, and thy Almighty King,
Who rescu'd thee in ev'ry exigence.

'Twas He, that fram'd thee on so wise a plan,
'Twas He, who freed thee from sin's galling chain,
'Twas He, restor'd to life thy inward man,
And by His Holy Spirit form'd again.

'Twas He, that call'd thee to believe the whole
The gospel teaches, from among the blind,
'Twas He, that freely justify'd thy soul,
Through faith in Christ, the Saviour of mankind!

With dainty fare thy famish'd soul he fed,
And cloth'd thee in a suitable array,
To mighty honours he rais'd up thy head,
And drove each pain and evil far away.

He gave thee a good character and name,
He gave thee grace, success, content, and health,
He gave thee credit, and an honest fame,
He gave thee virtue, and he gave thee wealth.

He caus'd thee, to be very much belov'd,
To be with universal favour crown'd,
To be by all degrees of men approv'd,
Without a foe in all the countries round.

He never did invidiously reserve,
Whatever thou didst earnestly request,
Tho' at his hands thou never didst deserve
The very crumbs, wherewith thou hast been blest.

Of all men living there's not one does owe
More to his Maker - or that is more bound
To praise the Holy Trinity, than thou -
Than thou thyself, art in the country round.

'Therefore awake, and to thy mind recall
'The kindness shewn thee by the Lord, each morn,
'And how the bless'd Redeemer of us all
'Supported thee, e'er since thou first wert born.'

And whilst thou hast a head and tongue, proclaim -
Proclaim forever, to the hour of death,
With ceaseless voice his goodness and his fame -
Proclaim them still, whilst thou hast life and breath.

To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the God,
The sacred three-in-one, whom we obey,
Let us ascribe all proper praise and laud,
Each day, each hour, each minute of the day!