Best Loved Hymns and Readings

Those who are first will be last (#litres_trial_promo)

The three wise men (#litres_trial_promo)

Through all the changing scenes of life (#litres_trial_promo)

Till the sun grows cold (#litres_trial_promo)

To a good man of most dear memory (#litres_trial_promo)

To God be the glory (#litres_trial_promo)

To his coy mistress (#litres_trial_promo)

To the virgins, to make much of time (#litres_trial_promo)

To thine own self be true (#litres_trial_promo)

Trust and obey (#litres_trial_promo)

Turn the other cheek (#litres_trial_promo)

Vitaï Lampada (#litres_trial_promo)

We brought nothing into this world (#litres_trial_promo)

We plough the fields, and scatter (#litres_trial_promo)

We rest on Thee (#litres_trial_promo)

We shall fight them on the beaches (#litres_trial_promo)

The wedding at Cana (#litres_trial_promo)

Were you there? (#litres_trial_promo)

What a friend we have in Jesus (#litres_trial_promo)

What is man? (#litres_trial_promo)

What God has joined together, let no one separate (#litres_trial_promo)

When I am dead, my dearest (#litres_trial_promo)

When I survey the wondrous cross (#litres_trial_promo)

When my hour is come (#litres_trial_promo)

Where you go I will go (#litres_trial_promo)

While shepherds watched their flocks by night (#litres_trial_promo)

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? (#litres_trial_promo)

Who would true valour see (#litres_trial_promo)

Whoever welcomes one such child (#litres_trial_promo)

Wives and husbands (#litres_trial_promo)

The wolf shall live with the lamb (#litres_trial_promo)

The Word became flesh (#litres_trial_promo)

Author Index (#litres_trial_promo)

Index of Bible references (#litres_trial_promo)

Index of first lines (#litres_trial_promo)

Index of themes (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Introduction (#ulink_635157dd-e5a4-52f9-8847-e02e58fe00d4)

This collection of Best-loved Hymns and Readings has been compiled as a resource for personal devotion and also as a reference work. It will be useful for making selections for such services as weddings, Christenings, or funerals. You will find here many favourite and traditional hymns, poems, readings, and extracts from the Bible (e.g., ‘Amazing Grace’ and Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan), together with less familiar ones (e.g., Shakespeare’s ‘The quality of mercy is not strained’). Each hymn, reading, poem, etc., is given an introduction which sets its background or gives interesting or helpful information. All the readings are arranged in alphabetical order of title (ignoring ‘A’ or ‘The’ at the beginning of a title). For ease of reference there are also indexes at the end of the book to enable you to find a particular item by reference to its first line, its author, its overall theme or, where appropriate, its Bible reference.

These extracts have been compiled in the hope that they will provide inspiration and encouragement both for everyday life and also at times of particular need and on special occasions.

Martin H. Manser

Abide with me (#ulink_eaa07b30-3bd8-5034-9785-c7a818a606a7)

Henry Francis Lyte was vicar of the fishing port of Brixham, Devon, and wrote a number of greatly loved hymns, of which ‘Abide with me’ is perhaps the most celebrated. He wrote it shortly after his last sermon, knowing that his own death (at the premature age of 54) was imminent, having been diagnosed with tuberculosis.

In 1915 Nurse Edith Cavell famously derived strength from this hymn by singing it in her cell the night before she was executed by a German firing squad. Today it is also a great favourite with crowds at football matches.

The original reference is to Luke 24:29, which runs ‘Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.’

Abide with me! fast falls the eventide,

The darkness deepens; LORD, with me abide!

When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,