Henry F. Lyte

In the last two Sunday evenings, Jake Spencer has been teaching us a hymn written by Henry F. Lyte called "Abide with Me; Fast Falls the Eventide" (#402 Trinity Hymnal). Jake also told us the story of the hymn, and I wanted to take a moment to put that history on paper for us as a congregation.

Henry Lyte was born in Scotland on June 1, 1793. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. And throughout his life he dealt with on-going and threatening health problems. Yet, he was a tireless pastor. For the final twenty-three years of his life, he pastored a small and poor church among fishing people at Lower Brixham, Devonshire, England. While there his health continued to worsen. His last sermon among the people was in 1847, and some recall that he had to crawl to the pulpit, a dying man preaching to his congregation. In his sermon he wanted to "induce you to prepare for the solemn hour which must come to all by a timely appreciation and dependence on the death of Christ." He then traveled to Italy to try and convalesce, but on his way he died in Nice, France and is buried there.

The hymn "Abide with me; Fast Falls the Eventide" was completed by Lyte shortly before his last sermon and his leaving his parishioners. It appears that he knew his time was short. He wrote, "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, they victory? I triumph still, if thou abide with me."