Awake My Soul and with the Sun

Awake, my soul, and with the sun

Awake My Soul and with the Sun is a hymn text by Thomas Ken (1674). Found in CW93 582, ELH 74, elw 557, h82 11.

The second stanza's 'each present day thy last esteem' applies Luther's theology of death to daily time management — if each day might be the last, it should be lived with the same clarity and commitment that we imagine for our final hours. The fourth stanza's image of joining the angels who 'all night long unwearied sing' connects morning prayer to the heavenly liturgy, placing the awakening congregation within the communion of saints and the cosmic praise that never ceases.

History & Background

Thomas Ken's Morning Hymn was written alongside his Evening Hymn for the scholars of Winchester College (1674). Where the Evening Hymn (set to TALLIS CANON) is reflective and confessional, the Morning Hymn is energetic and morally bracing — appropriate for an educational setting where the day's duties are about to begin. The tune MORNING HYMN (François Barthélemon, 1785) was later composed specifically for this text and gives it an appropriately vigorous character. The hymn's moral exhortation — 'shake off dull sloth,' 'thy precious time misspent redeem,' 'think how all-seeing God thy ways surveys' — reflects 18th-century Protestant piety's characteristic emphasis on stewardship of time and preparation for judgment. Combined with the more doxological stanzas (the angels' praise, the closing Doxology), it creates a morning office that moves from resolution to praise.

Hymnal Appearances

Christian Worship — 582
Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary — 74
Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 557
The Hymnal 1982 — 11
Lutheran Book of Worship — 269
Lutheran Service Book — 868
Lutheran Worship — 478
The Lutheran Hymnal — 536
United Methodist Hymnal — 101

Bulletin Note

Text by Thomas Ken (1637-1711), 1674. Tune: MORNING HYMN, François Barthélemon (1741-1808), composed 1785.

Preaching Connection

'Awake, my soul, and with the sun' — the morning office asks not just the body to wake but the soul, the will, the attention: a daily resurrection from the sleep of spiritual inattention.

Catechism & Confessional Connections

The Third Article (Concerning Sanctification) Small Catechism — The Apostles' Creed

Background Research

AI-assisted draft This background note was researched with AI from published hymnal sources and has not yet been checked line by line. Please verify details such as dates before relying on them.

Thomas Ken's Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College (1674) told the boys to sing a morning and evening hymn devoutly in their rooms (Ps 92:1), but it printed no hymns. Ken added his own three in the 1695 edition: Morning ('Awake, my soul'), Evening and Midnight. There were earlier printings in 1692 (pirated) and 1694 (authorized). All three end with the same doxology, 'Praise God, from whom all blessings flow' (TLH 644). So this is a schoolboys' morning devotion that became the English-speaking church's standard morning hymn. Tunes: MORNING HYMN by Barthélemon (c. 1785–89, written for this text); earlier, Jeremiah Clarke's UFFINGHAM (1701). From memory, not checked: Ken was a nonjuror, one of the Seven Bishops imprisoned by James II, and he refused Charles II's mistress Nell Gwyn lodging in his house; Charles later made him a bishop anyway.

Sources: hymnologyarchive.com 'Three Hymns and a Doxology'.

AI-assisted draft These study notes were drafted with AI from the hymn text and have not yet been reviewed line by line. Treat them as a starting point and check them against the sources.

Overview

Bishop Ken's morning hymn, written for the boys of Winchester College, ends with the most sung doxology in English ('Praise God, from whom all blessings flow'). It calls the soul to rise to its daily duty and morning praise (st. 1), to live honestly before the all-seeing God (st. 2), thanks God for the night's protection and looks to waking from death (st. 3), asks for forgiveness and the Spirit (st. 4), and prays that all the day's work be for God's glory (st. 5). It parallels Luther's Morning Prayer.

Central theme: Beginning the day with praise, repentance, and dedication of all work to God's glory

Structure

Rising (1); integrity (2); thanks and hope (3); renewal (4); direction (5); doxology (6).

Law & Gospel Shape

Law in the call to sincerity before the all-seeing God (st. 2); Gospel in protection, forgiveness, and the Spirit.

Confessional Connections

Luther's Morning Prayer: 'I thank You… that You have kept me this night… keep me this day also from sin and every evil.' Vocation: daily work as service to God.

Liturgical Use (Study Notes)

Morning prayer (Matins); start of school or work; retreats.

Historical Notes

Ken (1637-1711), later Bishop of Bath and Wells and one of the 'non-jurors,' wrote morning and evening hymns for Winchester College; published 1695.

About the Tune

MORNING HYMN (François H. Barthélémon, c. 1785).

Scripture References

Ps 108:2 Ps 19:5 Rom 13:11-12 Ps 139:1-4 Ps 3:5 1 Thess 4:16 Lam 3:22-23 Col 3:17 1 Cor 10:31 Ps 150:6

Stanza by Stanza

1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun…

Wake up, my soul, and like the sun run your daily course of duty; shake off laziness, rise joyfully, and offer your morning sacrifice.

Ps 108:2 ('I will awake the dawn'). The sun running its course like a strong man (Ps 19:5) — a picture of daily vocation. 'Shake off dull sloth' (Rom 13:11-12; Prov 6:9-11). 'Morning sacrifice' — praise as the Christian's offering (Heb 13:15; Ps 5:3).

Scripture: Ps 108:2, Ps 19:5, Rom 13:11-12, Prov 6:9-11, Heb 13:15, Ps 5:3
Imagery & language: Sun's race; daily stage; morning sacrifice.
Law / Gospel: Exhortation (third use) to praise and duty.
Connection to previous: Rising.

vocation praise morning prayer

2 Let all thy converse be sincere…

Let all your speech and dealings be sincere and your conscience clear as noon; remember that the all-seeing God sees your ways and secret thoughts.

'Converse' means conduct and speech. 'Conscience… clear' (Acts 24:16; 1 Tim 1:5). 'The all-seeing God' (Ps 139:1-4; Heb 4:13, 'no creature is hidden from his sight'). The stanza is Law used for daily self-examination — a call to integrity because life is lived before God (coram Deo).

Scripture: Acts 24:16, 1 Tim 1:5, Ps 139:1-4, Heb 4:13, Prov 15:3
Imagery & language: Clear conscience; all-seeing God.
Law / Gospel: Law — integrity before God.
Connection to previous: Integrity.

integrity conscience omniscience coram Deo

3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept…

Praise to you, who kept me safe and refreshed me while I slept; Lord, when I wake from death, may I share in endless light.

Thanks for the night's protection (Ps 3:5, 'I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me'). Then a turn: sleep and waking as a picture of death and resurrection (1 Thess 4:13-16; Dan 12:2). 'Endless light' (Rev 22:5). Every morning is a small Easter.

Scripture: Ps 3:5, Ps 4:8, 1 Thess 4:13-16, Dan 12:2, Rev 22:5
Imagery & language: Sleep; waking from death; endless light.
Law / Gospel: Gospel — protection and resurrection hope.
Connection to previous: Thanks and hope.

providence resurrection thanksgiving

4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew…

Lord, I renew my vows to you; scatter my sins like morning dew; guard the first stirrings of my thought and will, and fill my spirit with yourself.

Renewal of vows — for Lutherans, the daily return to the baptismal covenant (Small Catechism IV: daily contrition and repentance). 'Disperse my sins as morning dew' — Isa 44:22 ('I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud') and Hos 13:3. 'Guard my first springs of thought and will' (Prov 4:23, 'keep your heart… for from it flow the springs of life'). 'Fill my spirit' (Eph 5:18).

Scripture: Isa 44:22, Hos 13:3, Prov 4:23, Eph 5:18, Ps 51:10
Imagery & language: Vows renewed; morning dew dispersed; springs of thought.
Law / Gospel: Gospel — forgiveness and the Spirit.
Connection to previous: Renewal.

daily repentance forgiveness Holy Spirit baptismal renewal

5 Direct, control, suggest, this day…

Direct, control, and guide everything I plan, do, or say today, so all my powers unite in glorifying you alone.

A prayer for the whole day's activity (Prov 16:3, 9; Jas 4:13-15). 'In Thy sole glory' — 1 Cor 10:31 ('whatever you do, do all to the glory of God'); Col 3:17. This is vocation: ordinary work done for God and neighbor.

Scripture: Prov 16:3, 9, Jas 4:13-15, 1 Cor 10:31, Col 3:17
Imagery & language: Directing; uniting powers.
Law / Gospel: Prayer — sanctified vocation.
Connection to previous: Direction.

vocation glory of God guidance

6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow…

Praise God, the source of all blessings; let all creatures on earth and the heavenly host praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Ken's doxology, sung at the end of both his morning and evening hymns, now the most widely sung doxology in English. God as source of all blessings (Jas 1:17). Earth and heaven praise together (Ps 148). The Trinitarian name (Matt 28:19).

Scripture: Jas 1:17, Ps 148, Ps 150:6, Matt 28:19
Imagery & language: Flowing blessings; creatures below and host above.
Law / Gospel: Doxology.
Connection to previous: Doxology.

Trinity praise creation

Themes

morning wakefulness duty stewardship of time angels doxology office preparation

Look Further

Search Hymnary.org for "Awake My Soul and with the Sun" ↗