“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
The beautiful hymn of comfort and assurance was composed by a Swedish lady, Agatha Rosenius (1814-1874), in 1864. The musical score, I Rosens Doft, is the work of Prince Gustaf of Sweden and Norway.
ABODE OF PEACE
1 Abode of peace, my Father’s home forever!
My weary soul in faith doth yearn for thee.
I homeward look to Thee, my Lord and Saviour,
To Thine abode of peace, eternally.
There is on earth no peaceful rest;
Our faith is weak, our souls oppressed,
Our vision dim and failing,
Our vision dim and failing.
2 The Lord be praised that time so swiftly flieth;
God’s promise is fulfilled forevermore.
Who on God’s Word and promises relieth
Shall find at last the choicest wine in store.
Forgotten then is all distress,
Eternal peace and happiness
Shall then be ours forever,
Shall then be ours forever.
3 Then, keep my heart forever, O my Saviour,
And let me never, Lord, from Thee depart.
In joy, in pain, in sorrow, now and ever,
Thou only givest solace to my heart.
For when, O Lord, I am with Thee,
All other comforts well may flee;
With Thee I’m blest forever,
With Thee I’m blest forever.
Amen.
1 Abode of peace, my Father’s home forever! My weary soul in faith doth yearn for thee. I homeward look to Thee, my Lord and Saviour, To Thine abode of peace, eternally. There is on earth no peaceful rest;
Our faith is weak, our souls oppressed, Our vision dim and failing, Our vision dim and failing. Not only did the Lord Jesus leave His peace with us, but He also dwells in peace with the Father. If we are in Christ as He is in the Father, we have that peace. The Christian life is filled with struggle and opposition, but the inner peace of the devoted Christian is just a shadow of that peace which we shall enjoy in beyond the Gates of Splendor. The great hope of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is that we may abide with Him eternally if we persevere in our earthly race to the end. Christ has given us rest in this mortal life that is often punctuated by stress and strain; but the that eternal Sabbath dawns resplendent beyond Jordan Banks.
2 The Lord be praised that time so swiftly flieth; God’s promise is fulfilled forevermore. Who on God’s Word and promises relieth Shall find at last the choicest wine in store. Forgotten then is all distress, Eternal peace and happiness Shall then be ours forever, Shall then be ours forever. As we grow older in years, those years grow shorter as we begin to behold the Curtain of Light that separates the mortal from the immortal. It is good that this is so for as we grow older in years, we also grow nearer to that Heavenly Gate. As wine ages, it grows more delicate and of greater flower – there can be no wine that compares to that of the Ancient of Days. We may be assured that, once with Christ eternally, unpleasant memories and distresses will no longer haunt our blissful minds.
3 Then, keep my heart forever, O my Saviour, And let me never, Lord, from Thee depart. In joy, in pain, in sorrow, now and ever, Thou only givest solace to my heart. For when, O Lord, I am with Thee, All other comforts well may flee; With Thee I’m blest forever, With Thee I’m blest forever. AMEN Whatsoever the Lord owns as His darling will not be lost.. If our hearts belong to Him, He will never leave nor forsake us. “The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.” (Psalms 22:26) The world seeks peace, it cannot find such peace apart from that granted by the Great Sovereign of our hearts. Just as every biblically-inspired hymn should do, this hymn with AMEN – so be it!
