Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart

Spirit of God, descend upon my heart

Author: George Croly (1854)
Tune: MORECAMBE
Published in 270 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Sibelius
Audio files: MIDI

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Reflections on the Holy Spirit (Hymns of…

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Spirit of God, Descend upon Our Hearts

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SPIRIT OF GOD, DESCEND UPON MY HEART

Full Text

1 Spirit of God, descend upon my heart,
Wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,
And make me love Thee 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 Hast Thou not bid us love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own, soul, heart and strength and mind;
I see the cross--there teach my heart to cling;
O let me seek Thee, and O let me find.

4 Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

5 Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame:
The baptism of the heaven-descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.

Amen.

The Hymnal: Published by the authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., 1895

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Author: George Croly

Croly, George , LL.D., born in Dublin, Aug. 17, 1780, and educated at the Dublin University (M.A. 1804, LL.D. 1831). After taking Holy Orders, he laboured in Ireland till about 1810, when he took up his residence in London, and devoted himself to literature. In 1835 he succeeded to the united benefices of St. Stephen's, Walbrook, and St. Benet Sherehog, retaining the same till his death, which occurred suddenly in the public street, Holborn, Nov. 24, 1860. His prose publications, in addition to contributions to Blackwood's Magazine , were numerous, and dealt with biographical, historical, and scriptural subjects. His hymns were given in his— Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship. Written and compiled by the Rev. George Croly, LL.D. Lon… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Related Texts

First Line: Spirit of God, descend upon my heart
Title: Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
Author: George Croly (1854)
Meter: 10.10.10.10
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Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Ps. 51:10-12, Rom. 8:26, Eph. 3:16
st. 2 = Luke 11:13
st. 3 = Matt. 22:37
st. 4 = Ezek. 36:27
st. 5 = Rom. 5:5

This hymn is an intense, personal prayer for the working of the Holy Spirit (st. 1), for illumination (st. 2), for more fervent love for Christ (st. 3), for greater holiness in our walk with the Lord (st. 4), and for the fullness of the Spirit (st. 5). The first line was changed from "Spirit of God, descend upon my heart" to "Spirit of God, who dwells within my heart."

This text was ascribed posthumously to George Croly (b. Dublin, Ireland, 1780; d. Holborn, London, England, 1860) when it was published in Charles Rogers's Lyra Britannica (1867). Croly was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. After serving in Irish Anglican churches from 1804-1810, he moved to London and began a successful literary career as poet, novelist, conservative journalist, and editor of The Universal Review. In 1835 he returned to pastoral work and served a poor parish in London, where he became a very popular preacher. Croly published a number of his hymns in a collection he edited, Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship (1854).

Liturgical Use:
Pentecost; worship services at other times of the year because anytime is renewal time!

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

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Spirit of God! descend upon my heart. G. Croly. [Holiness Desired.] From his Psalms & Hymns, 1854.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

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Tune

MORECAMBE

MORECAMBE was composed in 1870 by Frederick C. Atkinson (b. Norwich, England, 1841; d. East Dereham, England, 1896) as a setting for Henry Lyte's "Abide with Me" (442). It was first published in G. S. Barrett and E.J. Hopkins's Congregational Church Hymnal (1887). The tune is named for a coastal tow…

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Media

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