Scripture Verse

I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you. John 15:15

Introduction

portrait
Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)

Words: Fan­ny Cros­by, in Gems of Song, by Hu­bert Main & Ira D. San­key (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Big­low & Main, 1901). Some hym­nals give the au­thor as Grace J. Fran­ces, one of Fan­ny’s pseu­do­nyms.

Music: Hu­bert P. Main (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Hubert P. Main (1839–1925)

Lyrics

There’s a friend that abides ev­er­more,
And that friend is the Lord, my king;
Of the peace I re­ceived,
When His Word I be­lieved,
In the full­ness of joy I will sing.

Refrain

O come, quick­ly come!
He is call­ing you to­day,
O come to that friend so true;
He will be your faith­ful guide,
More than all the world be­side,
And re­mem­ber He has died for you.

There’s a friend that abides ev­er­more,
And I praise Him with loud ac­claim;
For the life that is mine
Through His mer­cy di­vine;
Still I sing in my joy, Bless His name!

Refrain

There’s a love that is strong as the hills
That en­circle His throne above;
How it speaks to my soul
When the dark bil­lows roll,
And my heart sings for joy, God is love!

Refrain

There’s a friend that abides ev­er­more,
And a friend that I long to see;
O, the song that will break,
When to rap­ture I wake,
And in glo­ry with Him I shall be!

Refrain