Scripture Verse

When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all…in one place…Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. Acts 2:1–3

Introduction

portrait
Henry More (1614–1687)

Words: Hen­ry More, Di­vine Di­a­logues with Di­vine Hymns 1668, alt.

Music: Rus­sia adapt­ed from Dmi­tri S. Bort­ni­an­sky, 1825 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Dmitri S. Bortniansky (1752–1825)

Lyrics

When Christ His bo­dy up had born
To Heav’n, from His dis­ci­ples’ sight,
Then they like or­phans all for­lorn
Spent their sad days in mourn­ful plight.

But He as­cend­ed up on high,
More sac­red gifts for to re­ceive
And free­ly show­er them from the sky
On those which He be­hind did leave.

He for the pre­sence of His flesh
To them the Ho­ly Ghost im­parts,
And doth with liv­ing springs re­fresh
Their thirs­ty souls and faint­ing hearts.

While with one mind, and in one place
Devoutly they them­selves re­tire,
In rush­ing wind the pro­mised grace
Descends with clov­en tongues of fire.

The house th’Al­migh­ty’s Spi­rit fills,
Which doth the fee­ble fab­ric shake;
But on their tongue such pow­er in­stills,
That makes the amaz­èd hear­er quake.

The Spi­rit of ho­ly zeal and love,
And of dis­cern­ing, give us, Lord;
The Spi­rit of pow­er from above,
Of uni­ty and good ac­cord:

The Spi­rit of con­vinc­ing speech,
Such as will ev­ery con­sci­ence smite,
And to the heart of each man reach,
And sin and er­ror put to flight:

The Spi­rit of re­fin­ing fire,
He search­es the in­most heart and mind,
To purge all foul and fell de­sire,
And kin­dle life more pure and kind.

The Spi­rit of faith in this Thy day
Of pow­er against the force of sin,
That through this faith we ev­er may
Against our lusts the con­quests win.

Pour down Thy Spi­rit of in­ward life,
Which in our hearts Thy laws may write,
That with­out any pain or strife
We na­tur­al­ly may do what’s right.

On all the earth Thy Spi­rit pour,
In right­eous­ness it to re­new:
That Sa­tan’s king­dom it may o’er­pow­er,
And to Christ’s scep­ter may sub­due.

Like migh­ty wind or tor­rent fierce,
It Thy op­po­nents all o’er­run,
And ev­ery wick­ed law re­verse,
That faith and love may make all one.

Let peace and joy in each place spring,
And right­eous­ness, the Spi­rit’s fruits,
With meek­ness, friend­ship, and each thing
That with the Chris­tian spi­rit suits.

Grant this, O ho­ly God and true.
Who an­cient pro­phets did in­spire:
Haste to per­form Thy pro­mise due,
As all Thy ser­vants Thee de­sire.