Hymn: The hour of my departure’s come

The hour of my departure’s come,
I hear the voice that calls me home;
At last, O Lord, let trouble cease,
And let thy servant die in peace.

Not in mine innocence I trust;
I bow before thee in the dust;
And through my Saviour’s blood alone,
I look for mercy at thy throne.

I leave the world without a tear,
Save for the friends I held so dear;
To heal their sorrows, Lord, descend,
And to the friendless prove a friend.

I come, I come, at thy command,
I give my spirit to thy hand;
Stretch forth thine everlasting arms,
And shield me in the last alarms.

The hour of my departure’s come;
I hear the voice that calls me home;
Now, O my God, let trouble cease;
Now let thy servant die in peace.

John Logan

This hymn is from J. C. Ryle’s little book Spiritual Songs, published in 1849, when he was rector of Helmingham, Suffolk. The hymns Ryle selected were not found in the most common hymnbooks of the day.

Suggested tune: Hamburg (“When I survey the wondrous cross”).

Download a .pdf file of the hymnal.