The opening of this hymn is based on Psalm 141: 'Let my prayer be set before thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice'.  Striking imagery often makes his hymns memorable.  In the second verse the ingenious small-scale picture of life as a book, with the pages days and every letter a mercy, contrasts with the vast images of sea and sun in 'How shall I sing that majesty'.  Both end with thoughts about time and eternity.

This modern version below is unusal in being the same length and verse form as the original.  As can be seen from the earlier version at the bottom of the page, the only variation, apart from punctuation and capitalisation, is that the second half of verse three below appears as the first half of verse two in Mason, with all the other half verses moving down one place.  It is shown alongside 'O thou who camest from above' as Charles Wesley (1707-1788) clearly drew on Mason’s hymn. 

Now from the altar of my heart
    Let incense flames arise;
Assist me, Lord, to offer up
    Mine evening sacrifice.
Awake, my love! Awake, my joy!
    Awake, my heart and tongue!
Sleep not: when mercies loudly call,
    Break forth into a song.

This day God was my Sun and Shield,
    My Keeper and my Guide;
His care was on my frailty shown,
    His mercies multiplied.
Minutes and mercies multiplied
    Have made up all this day;
Minutes came quick but mercies were
    More fleet and free than they.

New time, new favour, and new joys
    Do a new song require;
Till I shall praise Thee as I would,
    Accept my heart’s desire.
Man’s life’s a book of history,
    The leaves thereof are days,
The letters mercies closely joined,
    The title is Thy praise.

Lord of my time, whose hand hath set
    New time upon my score,
Then I shall praise for all my time,
    When time shall be no more.

2.
Man's Life's a Book of History,
    The Leaves thereof are Days,
The Letters Mercies closely join'd,
    The Title is thy Praise.
This Day God was my Sun and Shield,
    My Keeper and my Guide;
His Care was on my Frailty shewn,
    His Mercies multiply'd.

O thou who camest from above
    The fire celestial to impart,
Kindle a flame of sacred love
    On the mean altar of my heart.

There let it for thy glory burn
    With inextinguishable blaze,
And trembling to its source return
    In humble prayer and fervent praise.

Jesus, confirm my heart’s desire
    To work and speak and think for thee;
Still let me guard the holy fire
    And still stir up the gift in me.

Still let me prove thy perfect will,
    My acts of faith and love repeat;
Till death thy endless mercies seal,
    And make the sacrifice complete.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

of Mason’s Songs of Praise
3.
Minutes and Mercies multiply'd,
    Have made up all this Day:
Minutes came quick, but Mercies were
    More fleet and free than they.
New Time, new Favour, and new Joys"
    Do a new Song require:
Till I shall praise Thee as I would,
    Accept my Heart's desire.

4.
Lord of my Time, whose Hand hath set
    New Time upon my Score;
Then shall I praise for all my Time,
    When Time shall be no more.