Christ My Song - 246
Draw, Holy Spirit, nearer - Whitsunday
(Carl Johann Philipp Spitta/Richard Massie/
Johannes Thomas Rüegg)
Whitsunday.
1. Draw, Holy Spirit, nearer,
and in our hearts abide;
O make the judgment clearer,
our minds inform and guide.
O come, thou great Renewer,
touch heart and lip with fire;
make every bosom truer,
our aims and objects higher. PDF - Midi
2. O come, thou true Consoler,
thou Fire, that warms the cold,
the haughty breast's Controller,
O come and make us bold.
On all sides danger threatens;
Lord, to our succour come,
and arm us with the weapons
of early Christendom.
3. Hard unbelief and folly
the truth of God deny;
O arm us, Lord most holy,
with weapons from on high:
with faith that never falters,
unmoved by fear or praise,
with love that never alters,
and hope in darkest days.
4. We need a free confession
in this our lukewarm age,
a frank and full profession
in spite of scorn and rage;
to friend alike and foeman,
on this or heathen ground,
to every man and woman
the Gospel trump to sound.
5. Where'er thy word is sounded,
in far and savage lands,
the heathen are confounded,
and cast off Satan's bands.
On every side they waken
to hear thy blessed word;
shall it from us be taken,
by us remain unheard?
6. On us, O thou most holy,
thy wrath doth justly fall,
who hear, yet, through our folly,
have not obeyed the call.
Let us with deep prostration
implore God's grace, that thus
the word of his salvation
be not withdrawn from us.
7. Give power to those who witness
and preach thy holy word,
that all may taste its sweetness,
and rally round the Lord.
Be this our preparation,
a heart and tongue of fire,
that this our proclamation
may speed as we desire!
Richard Massie, Lyra Domestica I, 1863, 27-29.
Translated from the German O komm, du Geist der Wahrheit - Pfingsten
of Carl Johann Philipp Spitta.