Around the throne of God a band
Of bright and glorious angels stand;
Sweet harps within their hands they hold,
And on their heads are crowns of gold.
Some wait around Him ready still
To sing His praise and do His will,
And some, when He commands them, go
To guard His servants here below.
Lord, give Thine angels every day
Command to guard us on our way,
And bid them every evening keep
Their watch around us while we sleep.
So shall no wicked thing draw near
To do us harm or cause us fear;
And we shall dwell, when life is past,
With angels round Thy throne at last.
About the writer: John Mason Neale, an English clergyman and author, was born in London in 1818. He graduated from Cambridge in 1840 and the following year entered the ministry. He was appointed warden of Sackville College, Sussex, an institution for aged women, in 1846; an office he continued to fill until his death in 1866. He was the author of numerous published works including 15 volumes of hymns and translations.
Key Verse: For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go. –Psalm 91:11