HYMN FOR THE WEEK

 

“Come, Holy Spirit, come”  

                                          [SS190]

Come, Holy Spirit, come;
Let Thy bright beams arise,
Dispel the darkness from our minds,
And open all our eyes.

 

Revive our drooping faith,
Our doubts and fears remove,
And kindle in our breasts the flame
Of never-dying love.

 

Convince us of our sin,
Then lead to Jesus’ blood,
And to our wondering view reveal
The secret love of God.

 

‘Tis Thine to cleanse the heart,
To sanctify the soul,
To pour fresh life in every part,
And new-create the whole.

 

Dwell therefore in our hearts,
Our minds from bondage free;
Then we shall know and praise, and love
The Father, Son, and Thee!

 

 

 J. Hart

 

It was in 1712 that Joseph Hart was born in London. He benefitted from a fairly good education, and it was thought that he would become a language teacher. However, God had other plans for him. His testimony reveals loose living in his early days, but conviction of sin resulted in a changed life from 1757 onwards after attending a Moravian chapel in London. Remaining in the City, he served as pastor of the Independent Chapel in Jewin Street and began composing hymns. Perhaps his best-known is “How good is the God we adore”. He passed away in 1768.

 

“Come, Holy Spirit, come” is included in Sankey’s Sacred Songs & Solos and could have been written in 1759. The tune attached to the hymn is Franconia, which is a Short Metre. It is a German Chorale and is attributed to Johann Balthasar Konig, probably composed in 1738. The tune is often associated with John Keble’s hymn, “Blest are the pure in heart”. The words are simple, straightforward, and yet earnest. They appear to have been written for a company of God’s people meeting together for worship or prayer. The hymn consists of an invitation for the Holy Spirit of God to manifest Himself among them, dispelling darkness and bringing revival. The words convey a clear grasp of the Spirit’s ministry, for He alone can “convince us of our sin” and “reveal the secret love of God”. The hymn expresses a willing submission Him to cleanse and dwell in each heart and “pour fresh life in every part”.

 

Some may object to a hymn addressing the Holy Spirit, but inasmuch as the Spirit of God is intent on glorifying Christ (as John 16:14 teaches) this very truth is self-evident in the words of the third stanza. We need His ministry to bring us into the place of divine blessing and to direct us to Christ.