The Heavenly Guest

And will the Lord thus condescend

Author: Anne Steele
Published in 90 hymnals

Representative Text

1 And will the Lord thus condescend
To visit sinful worms?
Thus at the door shall mercy stand
In all her winning forms?

2 Surprising grace!--and shall my heart
Unmoved and cold remain?
Has this hard rock no tender part?
Must mercy please in vain?

3 Shall Jesus for admission sue--
His charming voice unheard?
And this vile heart, his rightful due,
Remain for ever barred?

4 'Tis sin, alas! with tyrant power,
My heart hath long oppressed;
And crowds of traitors bar the door
Against the heavenly guest.

5 Ye dangerous inmates, hence depart:
Dear Saviour, enter in,
And guard the passage to my heart,
And keep out every sin.

Source: The Book of Worship #64

Author: Anne Steele

Anne Steele was the daughter of Particular Baptist preacher and timber merchant William Steele. She spent her entire life in Broughton, Hampshire, near the southern coast of England, and devoted much of her time to writing. Some accounts of her life portray her as a lonely, melancholy invalid, but a revival of research in the last decade indicates that she had been more active and social than what was previously thought. She was theologically conversant with Dissenting ministers and "found herself at the centre of a literary circle that included family members from various generations, as well as local literati." She chose a life of singleness to focus on her craft. Before Christmas in 1742, she declined a marriage proposal from contemporar… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: And will the Lord thus condescend
Title: The Heavenly Guest
Author: Anne Steele
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

And will the Lord thus condescend? Anne Steele. [The Love of Christ]. First published in her Poems, 1760, vol. i. p. 67, in (5 stanzas of 4 lines, based on Rev. iii. 20, and entitled "The Heavenly Guest." In 1769 it was included in the Bristol Baptist Collection of Ash and Evans, and came thus into common use. It was also repeated in a new edition of the Poems, 1780, and in Sedgwick's reprint of her Hymns, 1863, p. 42. At the present time its use is mainly confined to America.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 90 of 90)

A Collection of Hymns from Various Authors. New ed. #d20

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A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the United Brethren in Christ #218

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A Pastor's Selection of Hymns and Tunes #105

A Selection of Hymns #d10

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A Selection of Hymns #112

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #108

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #108

Additional Hymns, Designed as a Supplement to Dwight's Psalms & Hymns #d7

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American Psalmody #93

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Baptist Chorals #151

Chapel Hymns #d26

Christian Psalms and Hymns to Aid in Public and Private Devotion #d52

Church Melodies, a Collection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs #d56

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Church Melodies #391

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Church Psalmist #274

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Church Psalmist #274

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Church Psalmody #H184

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Church Psalmody #184

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Conference Hymns #T15

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Conference Hymns #27

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Evangelical Hymns #116

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Evangelical Musick #65

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Hymns for Christian Melody #225

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Hymns for Social Worship #166

Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs, including Some Never Before in Print #d16

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Hymns, Selected and Original, for Public and Private Worship #202

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Hymns #202

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Hymns #202

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Hymns #202

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Hymns #202

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Manual of Christian Psalmody #184

Melodies of the Church #d57

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New Union Hymns #258

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Parish Hymns #232

Parish Psalmody #d34

Parish Psalmody #d36

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Plymouth Collection #a436

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Plymouth Collection of Hymns and Tunes; for the use of Christian Congregations #436

Text

Poems on Subjects Chiefly Devotional, Vol. 1 #67

Psalms and Hymns Adapted to Social, Private and Public Worship #d37

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Psalms and Hymns, Adapted to Public Worship #242

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Psalms and Hymns, for Christian Use and Worship #H416

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Psalms and Hymns #192

Revival Hymns ... with a Supplement. 2nd ed. #d17

Revival Hymns. 4th ed. #d8

Sabbath School and Social Hymns of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the U.S.A. #d14

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Sacred lyrics, or Select hymns #34

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Sacred Poetry #249

Seamen's Devotional Assistant and Mariners' Hymns (American Seamen's Friend Society) #d24

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Seamen's Hymns #274

Seamen's Hymns and Devotional Assistant #d25

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Social Psalmist #274

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Songs for Social and Public Worship #S16

Songs for Social and Public Worship. Rev. ed. #d16

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Spiritual Songs for Social Worship #248

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Spiritual Songs for Social Worship #248

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Spiritual Songs for Social Worship #248

The American Seaman's Hymn Book #d12

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The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book #436

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The Baptist Praise Book #579

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The Baptist Psalmody #74

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The Chapel hymn book, with tunes #319

The Christian Lyre. Vol. II #d6

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The Christian Melodist #153

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The Christian Psalmist; or, Watts' Psalms and Hymns #255

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The Christian Psalmist #141

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The Devotional Hymn and Tune Book #146

The Devotional Hymn Book #d32

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The Psalmist #499

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The Psalmist #499

Union Hymns #d21

Village Hymns #50

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Village hymns for social worship, selected and original #50

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Village Hymns for Social Worship, Selected and Original #50

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #CVIII

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Church Psalmist #274

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The Book of Worship #64

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Hymns, Selected and Original #202

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Village hymns for social worship, selected and original #50

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