Hymn
Parting of Friends
Thy presence, everlasting God,
Wide o'er all nature spreads abroad;
Thy watchful eyes, which cannot sleep,
In every place Thy children keep.
While near each other we remain,
Thou dost our lives and souls sustain;
When absent, Thou dost make us share
Thy smiles, thy counsels, and Thy care.
To Thee we all our ways commit,
And seek our comforts at Thy feet;
Still on our souls vouchsafe to shine,
And guard and guide us still as Thine.
Parting of Friends — Text from International Song Service, 1895. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/parting-of-friends
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote Parting of Friends?
The words of Parting of Friends were written by Philip Doddridge; the version here was published in 1895. The library holds 55 more hymns by Philip Doddridge, including The Enjoyment of Heaven and Great God, We Sing Your Guiding Hand.
Is Parting of Friends public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from International Song Service, published in 1895. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of Parting of Friends?
Parting of Friends is in Long Metre (8.8.8.8). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, The Lovingkindness of the Lord, Christ's Passion, and Sinners Salvation and My God, And Is Thy Table Spread.