Abide with Me (Lyte)

Abide with me!

Fast falls the ev­en­tide;

The dark­ness thick­ens.

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 abide 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

O 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;

Heav’n’s morn­ing breaks

And earth’s vain sha­dows flee:

In life

in death

O Lord

abide with me!