Scripture Verse

Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him. Matthew 3:16

Introduction

Words: John Fel­lows (?–1785). Ap­peared in A Se­lect­ion of Hymns from the Best Au­thors, by John Rip­pon, 1787.

Music: Christ Church (Steg­gall) Charles Steg­gall, 1865 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Charles H. Steggall (1826–1905)

Lyrics

Descend, ce­les­tial Dove,
And make Thy pre­sence known;
Reveal our Sav­ior’s love,
And seal us for Thine own;
Unblessed by Thee, our works are vain,
Nor can we e’er ac­cept­ance gain.

When our in­car­nate God,
The so­ve­reign Prince of Light,
In Jor­dan’s swell­ing flood,
Received the ho­ly rite,
In op­en view Thy form came down,
And dove-like flew, the King to crown.

The day was ne­ver known,
Since time be­gan its race,
On which such glo­ry shone,
On which was shown such grace,
As that which shed, in Jor­dan’s stream,
On Je­sus’ head, the heav’n­ly beam.

Continue still to shine,
And fill us with Thy fire:
This or­di­nance is Thine,
Do Thou our souls in­spire!
Thou wilt at­tend on all Thy sons:
Till time shall end, Thy pr­omise runs.