Lyte, Henry Francis, a clergyman of the
Church of England, was born at Ednam,
near Kelso, Scotland, June 1, 1793. He
was educated at Trinity College, Dublin,
where he graduated in 1814. During his
college course he won the prize for the best
English poem on three occasions. He took
orders in the Church of England in 1815.
In 1818, at Marazion, in Cornwall, he experienced
a great spiritual change which
influenced all his after life. This was occasioned
by visits to a brother clergyman
who was sick, and who died happy, trusting
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alone in the atonement and power of
his Saviour. Lyte wrote concerning himself:
"I was greatly affected by the whole
matter, and brought to look at life and its
issue with a different eye than before; and
I began to study my Bible and preach in
another manner than I had previously
done." In 1823 he was appointed curate at
Lower Brixham, which living he held until
his death, November 20, 1847. His hymns
are spiritual and tender. They are found
mostly in two books: Poems, Chiefly Religious,
1833 (second edition, 1845), and
The Spirit of the Psalms, 1834 (enlarged
edition, 1836). He died of consumption under
pathetic circumstances while on a visit
to Nice, a winter health resort in Southern
France, where he lies buried. His swan
song, "Abide with me," is used by all Christendom.
| Abide with me! Fast falls the |
50 |
| As pants the hart for cooling |
316 |
| Jesus, I my cross have taken |
458 |