Gracious Spirit! Love Divine!

Gracious Spirit, Love divine! Let thy light within me shine

Author: John Stocker (1777)
Published in 479 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Gracious Spirit, dove divine,
let thy light within me shine;
all my guilty fears remove,
fill me full of heav'n and love.

2 Speak thy pard'ning grace to me,
set the burdened sinner free;
lead me to the Lamb of God,
wash me in his precious blood.

3 Life and peace to me impart;
seal salvation on my heart;
breathe thyself into my breast,
earnest of immortal rest.

4 Let me never from thee stray,
keep me in the narrow way;
fill my soul with joy divine,
keep me, Lord, forever thine.


Source: Trinity Psalter Hymnal #396

Author: John Stocker

John Stocker, of Honitan, Devonshire. Contributed during 1776 and 1777 nine hymns to "Gospel Magazine" Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal, 1908 Go to person page >

Notes

Gracious Spirit, Dove divine. J. Stocker. Whitsuntide.] This hymn first appeared in the Gospel Magazine, July 1777, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled, "To God the Holy Ghost," as follows:—

1. "Gracious Spirit, Dove divine,
Let Thy Light within me shine:
All my guilty fears remove;
Fill me full of Heav'n and Love.
2. "Speak Thy pard'ning Grace to me,
Set the burden'd Sinner free:
Lead me to the Lamb of God;
Wash me in his precious Blood.
3. "Life and Peace to me impart;
Seal Salvation on my Heart:
Breathe thyself into my Breast,
Earnest of immortal Rest.
4. "Let me never from thee stray;
Keep me in the narrow Way;
Fill my soul with Joy divine,
Keep me, Lord, for ever thine.
5. "Guard me round, on ev'ry Side;
Save me from self-righteous pride:
Me with Jesu's Mind inspire;
Melt me with celestial Fire.
6. "Thou my Dross and Tin consume;
Let thy inward Kingdom come:
All my Prayer and Praise suggest;
Dwell and reign within my breast."

This is also given in full in Sedgwick's reprint of Stacker's Hymns & Spiritual Poems, &c, 1801, p. 7. In Glazebrooke's Collection, stanzas 1-4 were given as "Gracious Spirit, love divine." This was repeated as from "Glazebrooke's C." in the Williams & Boden Collection, 1801, No. 143. This was again repeated in J. Dobell's New Selection, &c, 1806, and later collections, and has become the recognised form of the hymn, the only alteration of the original being that of "Dove" to “love divine," in the opening line. Various alterations of the text are also in common use, both in Great Britain and America, one, as "Gracious Spirit, power divine," being No. 1040 in Kennedy, 1863, and a second, "Holy Spirit, Love divine," in Powell's Hymns & Anthems, &c, 1881. These alterations may be ascertained by a collation with the original, as above. The hymn in its various forms is very popular, and is in extensive use in all English-speaking countries.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 479)

A Church of England Hymn Book #206

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A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the United Brethren in Christ #162

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A Collection of Hymns #111

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A Collection of Spiritual Hymns #229

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A Manual of Devotion and Hymns for the House of Refuge, City of New York #31

A New Service and Tune Book for Sunday Schools. New ed. #d37

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A Pastor's Selection of Hymns and Tunes #315

A Selection of Hymns #d83

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A Selection of Spiritual Songs #367

A Short Liturgy for Missionary Service ... for the Use of The New Church #d11

A. M. E. C. Hymnal #206

A.M.E. Hymnal #d117

Additional Hymns, Designed as a Supplement to Dwight's Psalms & Hymns #d61

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African Methodist Episcopal hymn and tune book #138

American Sunday School Hymn Book. 2nd ed. #a118

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American Sunday School Hymn Book. New ed. #aa118

Anglican Hymn Book #190

Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver #d74

Association Songs No.1 #d47

Augsburg Songs, Nos. l and 2 Combined #d93

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Baptist Chorals #348

Book of Hymns for the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Wisconsin and Other States #d78

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Book of Worship #186

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Bright Gems #54

Busy Work Songs #d5

Calvary Selection of Spiritual Songs with Music for the Church and the Choir #d276

Canadian Sabbath-School Hymn Book #82

Cantica Laudis #d91

Carmina for Social Worship #d82

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Carmina Sanctorum #272

Chapel and Family Hymn Book #d43

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Chapel Treasures (Christ Chapel Sabbath-School, Lebanon, PA) #90

Children's Chapel Song Book #d19

Choice Gospel Songs #d50

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Christian Melodies #157

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Christian Melodies #157

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Christian Praise #151

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Christian Praise #320

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Christian Praise #320

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Church Book #256

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Church Choral-Book #381

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Church Hymnal #120

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Church Hymnal, Mennonite #152

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #152

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #d164

Church Hymnal, Third Edition #421

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Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #128

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Church Hymns and Tunes #241

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Church Melodies #651

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Church music #CCXXXVI

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Church music #328

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Church Psalmist #200

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Church Psalmist #200

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Church Psalmody #H215

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Church Psalmody #215

Collection of Hymns for Public and Private Worship. 4th ed. #d95

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Common Praise #240

Compilation of Hymns for the Use of the Churches of the Christian Union #d227

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Conference Hymns #72

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David's Harp #157

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Devotional hymns #S80

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Dyer's Psalmist #79

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Echoes from Zion #91b

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Evangelical Hymnal #141

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book with Tunes #d124

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnbook (Lutheran Conference of Missouri and Other States) #d98

Everybody's Hymn Book for Church and Home #d97

Family Hymns #d82

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Free Methodist Hymnal #117

Gems of Gladness for Sabbath School and Praise Meetings #d7

General Baptist Hymn Book #d166

Gesangbuch fuer Deutsche Sonntagsschulen #d86

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Gipsy Smith's Mission Hymnal #CH128

Gloria in Excelsis #d212

Gloria in Excelsis #d128

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Gloria #97

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Glowing Songs #115

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Good as Gold #188b

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Gospel Hymn and Tune Book #125

Gospel Music #d40

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Gospel Music #86

Gospel Tent Hymns #d45

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Gospel Tent Hymns #113

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Gospel Trio of Sacred Song #179c

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Hallowed Songs #40

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High School Hymnal #82

Hymn and Tune Book #d24

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Hymn and Tune Book for the Church and the Home. (Rev. ed.) #321

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Hymn and Tune Book, for the Church and the Home #296

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Hymn and Tune Book #37

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Hymn Book for Christian Worship #366

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Hymn Book for Christian Worship. 8th ed. #a366

Pages

Exclude 474 pre-1979 instances
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