Holy Spirit, Faithful Guide

Holy Spirit, faithful Guide, Ever near the Christian's side

Author: M. M. Wells
Tune: GUIDE (Wells)
Published in 676 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Holy Spirit, faithful Guide,
Ever near the Christian’s side;
Gently lead us by the hand,
Pilgrims in a desert land;
Weary souls fore’er rejoice,
While they hear that sweetest voice
Whisp'ring softly, “Wand'rer, come!
Follow Me, I’ll guide thee home.”

2 Ever present, truest Friend,
Ever near Thine aid to lend,
Leave us not to doubt and fear,
Groping on in darkness drear;
When the storms are raging sore,
Hearts grow faint, and hopes give o’er.
Whisp'ring softly, “Wand'rer, come!
Follow Me, I’ll guide thee home.”

3 When our days of toil shall cease,
Waiting still for sweet release,
Nothing left but heav'n and prayer,
Wond'ring if our names were there;
Wading deep the dismal flood,
Pleading naught but Jesus’ blood,
Whisp'ring softly, “Wand'rer, come!
Follow Me, I’ll guide thee home.”

Amen.

Source: Worship and Service Hymnal: For Church, School, and Home #94

Author: M. M. Wells

Converted to Christianity as a youth at a mission in Buffalo, New York, Marcus Morris Wells (b. Cooperstown, NY, 1815; d. Hartwick, NY, 1895) spent most of his life near Hartwick as a farmer and maker of farm implements. He is remembered in hymnody for writing both the text and tune of "Holy Spirit, Faithful Guide." "On a Saturday afternoon, October 1858, while at work in my cornfield, the sentiment of the hymn came to me," writes Wells. "The next day, Sunday, being a very stormy day, I finished the hymn and wrote the tune for it and sent it to Prof. I. B. Woodbury." Isaac Woodbury was the editor of the New York Musical Pioneer, and the original text and tune were first published in that periodical's November 1858 issue. Bert Polman… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Holy Spirit, faithful Guide, Ever near the Christian's side
Title: Holy Spirit, Faithful Guide
Author: M. M. Wells
Meter: 7.7.7.7 D
Language: English
Notes: Swahili translation: See "Mungu roho kiongozi"
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

GUIDE (Wells)

Converted to Christianity as a youth at a mission in Buffalo, New York, Marcus Morris Wells (b. Cooperstown, NY, 1815; d. Hartwick, NY, 1895) spent most of his life near Hartwick as a farmer and maker of farm implements. He is remembered in hymnody for writing both the text and tune of "Holy Spirit,…

Go to tune page >


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #2530
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
The Cyber Hymnal #10375
  • PDF (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer Score (NWC)

Instances

Instances (1 - 11 of 11)

Ambassador Hymnal #130

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #157

TextPage Scan

Hymns of Faith #81

Hymns of the Christian Life #147

Praise for the Lord (Expanded Edition) #240

TextPage Scan

The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #217

The Baptist Hymnal #205

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #2530

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #10375

The Sacred Harp #510

TextPage Scan

Worship and Service Hymnal #94

Include 665 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us