Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart

138 Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart

1 Spirit of God, descend upon my heart,
   wean it from sin, through all its pulses move.
   Stoop to my weakness, mighty as you are,
   and make me love you as I ought to love.

2 I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
   no sudden rending of the veil of clay,
   no angel visitant, no opening skies;
   but take the dimness of my soul away.

3 Did you not bid us love you, God and King,
   love you with all our heart and strength and mind?
   I see the cross— there teach my heart to cling.
   O let me seek you and O let me find!

4 Teach me to feel that you are always nigh;
   teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
   to check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
   teach me the patience of unceasing prayer.

5 Teach me to love you as your angels love,
   one holy passion filling all my frame:
   the fullness of the heaven-descended Dove;
   my heart an altar, and your love the flame.
                         George Croly
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I don't recall ever singing this hymn. It occurs in 333 hymnals and is the most popular hymn that this person wrote. I do like the variation that hymnary.org gives for the first line: "Spirit of God, who dwells within my heart." It definitely is more scriptural!
</idle musing>

Tozer for Tuesday

Then the power of the Holy Spirit brings the magnetic power to draw us to Christ, exalting Him above all else and above all others. We must demand more than correct doctrine, though we dare not have less than correct doctrine. More than right living, though we dare not have less than right living; more than a friendly atmosphere, though we dare not have less than a friendly atmosphere. We must demand that the Word of God be preached in power, and that we hear it in power.—A.W. Tozer, Reclaiming Christianity, 115

Tozer for Tuesday (a day late)

The Holy Spirit is not something we can argue about or somebody about whom we can say, “Well, you believe your way and I’ll believe mine.” The Holy Spirit is an absolute necessity in the Church. There is a power in the Spirit, which can expose sin and revolutionize and convert and create holy men and women, and nothing else can do it. Words will not do it. Instructions will not do it. Line upon line and precept upon precept will not do it; it takes power to do it. This power is a persuasive power to convince, persuade and break down resistance. It is also a worship power creating reverence and ecstasy.—A.W. Tozer, Reclaiming Christianity, 114

Tozer for Tuesday

So the Holy Spirit gets into the benediction and verse three of hymn number nine. Further than that, the Holy Spirit is not necessary to the church; we have arranged it so that He is not required. He has been displaced by what we call programming and by social activity.—A.W. Tozer, Reclaiming Christianity, 55

Tozer for Tuesday and the Holy Spirit (or lack of!)

So the Holy Spirit gets into the benediction and verse three of hymn number nine. Further than that, the Holy Spirit is not necessary to the church; we have arranged it so that He is not required. He has been displaced by what we call programming and by social activity.—A.W. Tozer, Reclaiming Christianity, 55

Tozer for Tuesday

I believe in the gifts of the Spirit, and I believe they all ought to be in the church. I not only believe they all ought to be in the church, but I also believe they all are in the true church of Christ. However, there has been this great indignity heaped upon the Holy Spirit. Some say the gifts of the Spirit ceased with the death of, the apostles. Why they fixed on that arbitrary time I do not know, because we do not know the date of the last apostle, and for that reason, we do not know when the Holy Spirit ceased to have any power among us.—A.W. Tozer, Reclaiming Christianity, 54

O Spirit of the living God

182 St. Leonard. C. M. D.

1 O Spirit of the living God,
   thou light and fire divine,
   descend upon thy church once more,
   and make it truly thine.
   Fill it with love and joy and power,
   with righteousness and peace;
   till Christ shall dwell in human hearts,
   and sin and sorrow cease.

2 Blow, wind of God! With wisdom blow
   until our minds are free
   from mists of error, clouds of doubt,
   which blind our eyes to thee.
   Burn, winged fire! Inspire our lips
   with flaming love and zeal,
   to preach to all thy great good news,
   God's glorious commonweal.

3 Teach us to utter living words
   of truth which all may hear,
   the language all may understand
   when love speaks loud and clear;
   till every age and race and clime
   shall blend their creeds in one,
   and earth shall form one family
   by whom thy will is done.

4 So shall we know the power of Christ
   who came this world to save;
   so shall we rise with him to life
   which soars beyond the grave;
   and earth shall win true holiness,
   which makes thy children whole;
   till, perfected by thee, we reach
   creation's glorious goal!
                         Henry H. Tweedy
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

Breath on me, breath of God

180 Trentham. S. M.

1 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   Fill me with life anew,
   That I may love what Thou dost love
   And do what Thou wouldst do.

2 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   Until my heart is pure,
   Until with Thee I will one will,
   To do and to endure.

3 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   Till I am wholly Thine,
   Till all this earthly part of me
   Glows with Thy fire divine.

4 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   So shall I never die,
   But live with Thee the perfect life
   Of Thine eternity.
                         Edwin Hatch
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

Spirit of God, who dwells within my heart

179 Morecambe. 10. 10. 10. 10.

1 Spirit of God, who dwells within my heart,
   wean it from sin, through all its pulses move.
   Stoop to my weakness, mighty as you are,
   and make me love you as I ought to love.

2 I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
   no sudden rending of the veil of clay,
   no angel visitant, no opening skies;
   but take the dimness of my soul away.

3 Did you not bid us love you, God and King,
   love you with all our heart and strength and mind?
   I see the cross there teach my heart to cling.
   O let me seek you and O let me find!

4 Teach me to feel that you are always nigh;
   teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
   to check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
   teach me the patience of unceasing prayer.

5 Teach me to love you as your angels love,
   one holy passion filling all my frame:
   the fullness of the heaven-descended Dove;
   my heart an altar, and your love the flame.
                         George Croly
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

Spirit of Life, in this new dawn

178 Maryton. L. M.

1. Spirit of Life, in this new dawn,
   Give us the faith that follows on,
   Letting thine all-pervading power
   Fulfill the dream of this high hour.

2. Spirit Creative, give us light,
   Lifting the raveled mists of night.
   Touch thou our dust with spirit hand
   And make us souls that understand.

3. Spirit Redeeming, give us grace,
   When crucified to seek thy face,
   To read forgiveness in thine eyes–
   Today with Thee in Paradise.

4. Spirit Consoling, let us find
   Thy hand when sorrows leave us blind.
   In the gray valley let us hear
   Thy silent Voice: “Lo, I am near.”

5. Spirit of Love, at evening time,
   When weary feet refuse to climb,
   Give us thy vision, eyes that see
   Beyond the dark, the dawn, and thee.
                         Earl Marlatt
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

Come Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire

175 Winchester Old. C. M.

1 Come Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire,
   let us thine influence prove;
   source of the old prophetic fire,
   fountain of life and love.

2 Come, Holy Ghost, for, moved by thee,
   thy prophets wrote and spoke:
   unlock the truth, thyself the key,
   unseal the sacred book.

3 Expand thy wings, celestial Dove,
   brood o'er our nature's night;
   on our disordered spirits move,
   and let there now be light.

4 God, through himself, we then shall know,
   if thou within us shine;
   and sound, with all thy saints below,
   the depths of love divine.
                         Charles Wesley
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

Holy Spirit, truth divine

173 Mercy. 7. 7. 7. 7.

1. Holy Spirit, Truth divine,
   dawn upon this soul of mine;
   Word of God and inward light,
   wake my spirit, clear my sight.

2. Holy Spirit, Love divine,
   glow within this heart of mine;
   kindle every high desire;
   perish self in thy pure fire.

3. Holy Spirit, Power divine,
   fill and nerve this will of mine;
   grant that I may strongly live,
   bravely bear, and nobly strive.

4. Holy Spirit, Right divine,
   King within my conscience reign;
   be my Lord, and I shall be
   firmly bound, forever free.
                         Samuel Longfellow
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

<idle musing>
Interesting tidbit about the author: He is the brother of Longfellow the poet! And he was a Unitarian, but you would never know that from the words to this hymn.

Hymnary.org lists more verses:

4 Holy Spirit, Law divine,
   reign within this soul of mine.
   Be my law and I shall be
   firmly bound, forever free.

5 Holy Spirit, Peace divine,
   still this restless heart of mine.
   Speak to calm this tossing sea,
   grant me your tranquility.

6 Holy Spirit, Joy divine,
   gladden now this heart of mine.
   In the desert ways I sing,
   spring, O living Water, spring!

</idle musing>

By the power of the Holy Spirit alone

I have sometimes heard Christian people talk as though God, having done what he’s done in Jesus, now wants us to do our part by getting on with things under our own steam. But that is a tragic misunderstanding. It leads to arrogance, burnout, or both. Without God’s Spirit, there is nothing we can do that will count for God’s kingdom. Without God’s Spirit, the church simply can’t be the church.

I use the word “church” here with a somewhat heavy heart. I know that for many of my readers that very word will carry the overtones of large, dark buildings, pompous religious pronouncements, false solemnity, and rank hypocrisy. But there is no easy alternative. I, too, feel the weight of that negative image. I battle with it professionally all the time.—N. T. Wright, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, 122–23

Tozer for Tuesday

We always like to get everything nailed down, get a marker there and put up a plaque; and when friends come, be able to point and say, “There’s my religion, look at that, isn’t that solid, four legs solid on the floor, solid, there it is.” We like it that way and we like to get hold of our verses and then say, “I know how to run my life.” God says, “No, My child, you only know the broad outline. The details must be filled in by prayer and faith and humility.”—A.W. Tozer, Living as a Christian, 133

Tozer for Tuesday

Being sound in the faith does not mean that God has tossed the Bible to you and says, “Here’s the rule book, good-bye, Follow the rules and you’ll make it through the gates at last.” Never, never. God says, “Here is the rule book; here are the precepts for righteousness. Do not get puffed up now, because you are a weak person and situations change like the chance of circumstance, so you will never quite know how to orientate yourself. You lean on Me hard, you trust Me constantly, you pray all the time, because otherwise you will not know how to make that precept apply in the hour when you need it.”—A.W. Tozer, Living as a Christian, 132

But it's written right here! (Tozer for Tuesday)

Orthodoxy says, “I know the answer, here it is in seven tenets.” But the humble Christian knows better. He knows he has the tenets there and subscribes to them as ardently as any man, but how to apply them at a given time and context takes the Holy Ghost, prayer, humility, sometimes fasting, more prayer and sacrifice.—A.W. Tozer, Living as a Christian, 132

Come, Holy Spirit, our hearts inspire

679 C. M.
The Spirit’s enlightening influences.

COME, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire;
   Let us thine influence prove ;-
   Source of the old prophetic fire;
   Fountain of life and love.

2 Come, Holy Ghost, for moved by thee
   The prophets wrote and spoke:
   Unlock the truth, thyself the key;
   Unseal the sacred book.

3 Expand thy wings, Celestial Dove;
   Brood o’er our nature’s night;
   On our disorder’d spirits move,
   And let there now be light.

4 God, through himself,
   We then shall know, If thou within us shine;
   And sound, with all thy saints below,
   The depths of love divine.
                            Charles Wesley
                             Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)

Grieving the Spirit

422 C. M.
The surrender.

HOW oft have I the Spirit grieved,
   Since first with me he strove;
   How obstinateiy disbelieved,
   And trampled on his love!
   How have I sinn’d against the light;
   Broken from his embrace;
   And would not, when I freely might,
   Be justified by grace.

2 But after all that I have done
   To drive him from my heart,
   The Spirit leaves me not alone,—
   He doth not yet depart;
   He will not give the sinner o’er;
   Ready e’en now to save,
   He bids me come as heretofore,
   That I his grace may have.

3 I take thee at thy gracious word;
   My foolishness I mourn;
   And unto my redeeming Lord,
   However late, I turn:
   Saviour, I yield, I yield at last;
   I hear thy speaking blood;
   Myself, with all my sins,
   I cast On my atoning God.
                      Charles Wesley
                      Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)

Hearts of love

195 L. M.
The plenitude of His grace and power,

SPIRIT of the living God,
   In all thy plenitude of grace,
   Where’er the foot of man hath trod,
   Descend on our apostate race.

2 Give tongues of fire, and hearts of love,
   To preach the reconciling word;
   Give power and unction from above,
   Where’er the joyful sound is heard.

3 Be darkness, at thy coming, light;
   Confusion—order, in thy path;
   Souls without strength, inspire with might;
   Bid mercy triumph over wrath.

4 Baptize the nations; far and nigh
   The triumphs of the cross record;
   The name of Jesus glorify,
   Till every kindred call him Lord.
                  James Montgomery
                  Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)

Descend in all thy power

194 S. M. The day of Pentecost.

LORD God, the Holy Ghost!
   In this accepted hour,
   As on the day of Pentecost,
   Descend in all thy power.

2 We meet with one accord
   In our appointed place,
   And wait the promise of our Lord,—
   The Spirit of all grace.

3 Like mighty rushing wind
   Upon the waves beneath,
   Move with one impulse every mind;
   One soul, one feeling breathe.

4 The young, the old, inspire
   With wisdom from above;
   And give us hearts and tongues of fire,
   To pray, and praise, and love.

5 Spirit of light, explore,
  And chase our gloom away,—
   With lustre shining more and more,
   Unto the perfect day.

6 Spirit of truth, be thou
   In life and death, our guide;
   O Spirit of adoption, now
   May we be sanctified.
                      James Montgomery
                      Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)