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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, oh, abide with me. |
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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. |
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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, thus abide with me. |
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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, oh, abide with me. |
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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. |
The fourth step in escaping the fall is to know the frailty of man. Enosh is another interesting name in Genesis 4. Enosh means "frail, mortal man." This implies that to escape from walking on the path of the fall, we need to know the frailty of man. We need to know that man is nothing and can break, just as a glass cup breaks easily. This is frailty. Man is frail. Some people do not know themselves. They think that they are smart, wise, and strong, when in fact they have nothing of which to boast. When a car hits a man, he is as fragile as a glass cup. When he is infected with tuberculosis, he must lie down. He may even die from tuberculosis. Man's life is frail. Man's name is Abel, but man's name is also Enosh. Abel means that man is vain, but Enosh means that man is frail. People who dream about their life should wake up. Man is not strong. Man will collapse when he is sick, and he will die if a car hits him. A wife can collapse when she is mad at her husband. She can even get ulcers because of her anger. A person can live to be one hundred years at most. The Chinese say that few can live to the age of seventy. Being fifty years old is not yet the twilight hour, but it is already four o'clock in the afternoon. Some people are at eight or nine o'clock in the evening. There is a hymn that says, "Swift to its close ebbs our life's little day" (Hymns, #370, stanza 2). People must wake up from their dreams, because human life is vain and frail. In order to escape the fall, we must realize the meaning of human life. Those who continue in the fall do not know their own human life. In chapter 4 those who were delivered out of the fall knew that human life is vain and frail.
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Detroit, Michigan, United States
The conductor, T. P. Ratcliffe, was asked to conduct at Wembley Stadium in intervals during a football (soccer) game. He thought it would be interesting to try having the great audience sing together. Some had trepidations. However, he first suggested "Pack Up Your Troubles," which was sung with enthusiasm. Then, on a venture, he suggested that the crowd of almost 100,000 rise and sing "Abide with Me." King George V was there and rose and bared his head. The great crowd seemed transformed as they sang this hymn so well known to many of them. For one man it meant a miracle. Here is how it happened:
A man from the North of England had gone down to the game. He had been drinking heavily, as was his custom. He went to a football game to get drunk rather than to see the game. When the hymn was announced, he stood with the others, though with difficulty. He said that the first verse brought back memories of his Christian parents. Then something snapped. He could not explain it differently. The verse that begins:
I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
seemed like a prayer suited to his need. He said that he bowed his head, and tried to be reverent as he had at his mother's knee, as a lad saying his prayers.
Bill's wife could not stand going to football games with him; he was such a "boozer." She was expecting his return home, thinking that he would be in his usual state. When he turned the corner, he was singing and running. He entered the house and kissed her, and between sobs told her he was a new man. However, he did not himself realize that he had been converted. Never did he take another drink. Truly, God works in mysterious ways. Who would have thought that a hymn sung at a football game between 2 exciting halves would have resulted in the conversion and radical change of a man who was stoned drunk at the time? The hymn has been sung at Wembly as a regular feature since that time.
The author of this hymn, Henry Lyte, was born in Kelso, Scotland. He attended Trinity College in Dublin, a protestant university. He was ordained in the Church of England. As a young curate (assistant to a parish priest) he was called to the bedside of an elderly saint of the church who was dying. He gripped the young curate's hand, and prayed, "Oh, Lord, abide with me; abide with me!" In prayer, he slipped away to abide with Him forever. The young curate never forgot the incident.
In 1823 he was appointed perpetual curate at Lower Brixham in Devonshire. On one occasion, in company with Rev. Edward Frenkiel, I sat on the stone ledge overlooking the bay, where Henry F. Lyte was said to have sat and watched the setting sun. Thinking of his own life, which seemed to be ebbing to a close, he thought back to his experience as a young curate in Dublin. Soon, too soon, he would have to leave his wife and loved ones. He wrote this hymn that evening, and read it to his wife and guests. They wept. They knew he was ill; little did they realize at the time how fast the "eventide" was falling for him, their beloved curate.
Doctors suggested that he go to a dry, warm climate to preserve his life. He went to the French Riviera, where he passed away 6 months later. Ne died at Nice, France, November 20, 1847.
Times change, people and governments deteriorate and become demoralized and decayed, but the Savior, who does not change, is there where you are, when you need Him most, to abide with you. - Hymn Stories by Wilbur Konkel
Katy, Texas, United States
"For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life!"
This is why we need to abide in Him, and He in us, day by day.
Thank You Lord Jesus for this hymn!
Okota, Lagos, Nigeria
I love this hymn so much. It makes me feel the presence of God so strong around me...
Switzerland
A blessing I cannot describe!
Lots of love to you all.
Nigeria
Indeed inspirational and encouraging!
Best hymn ever!
Cool!!
Lagos, Nigeria
The hymn reassures hope in the place of hopelessness . It reassures me of hope beyond my unaccomplished desires, strength to bear the grief of my late Dear wife. I feel God's presence within.
Listen to the Call of my heart.