Abide with Me

Today I was listening to this collection of piano hymns I sometimes listen to in the morning while doing the dishes or working at my desk. Abide With Me is one of the songs in the collection and as it played I realized that I only knew a few of the words; so I decided to look them up.

Here they are:

Abide with Me


Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings,
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea—
Come, Friend of sinners, and thus bide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile;
And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee,
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Once Stefan made me watch A Bridge Too Far, which is a WWII film starring just about every famous actor of the 20th century. I'm not much for war movies but there is this amazing scene near the end when a group of wounded British soldiers are stranded. As they realize they will be captured, and that help is not coming, one starts to sing Abide with Me. There is this amazing peace that descends on the soldiers--a peace that is not merely resignation, but the comfort of faith. It is really beautifully done. Ever since then I have really loved this hymn.

This was my favorite stanza that I had not heard:

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Now that I've read the words I think it's going to be one of my new/old favorites.