Scripture Verse

I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter. John 14:16

Introduction

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Edward Caswall (1814–1878)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: At­trib­ut­ed to Rha­ban­us Maur­us, cir­ca 800 (Ve­ni Cre­at­or Spi­rit­us, Men­tes tu­or­um vi­si­ta). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to En­glish by Ed­ward Cas­wall, Ly­ra Ca­tho­li­ca, 1849. This hymn was sung in the 1944 film The Keys of the King­dom, which re­ceived an Aca­de­my Award nom­in­ation.

Music: Grace Church Ig­naz J. Pley­el, 1815 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

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Ignaz J. Pleyel (1757–1831)

Lyrics

Come, O Cre­at­or Spi­rit blest,
And in our souls take up Thy rest;
Come, with Thy grace and hea­ven­ly aid,
To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

Great Com­fort­er, to Thee we cry;
O high­est gift of God most high,
O Fount of life, O Fire of love,
And sweet an­oint­ing from above!

The sac­red se­ven­fold grace is Thine,
Dread fin­ger of the hand di­vine;
The pro­mise of the Fa­ther Thou,
Who dost the tongue with pow­er en­dow.

Kindle our sens­es from above,
And make our hearts o’er­flow with love;
With pa­tience firm, and vir­tue high,
The weak­ness of our flesh sup­ply.

Far from us drive the foe we dread,
And grant us Thy true peace in­stead;
So shall we not, with Thee for guide,
Turn from the path of life aside.

O may Thy grace on us be­stow
The Fa­ther and the Son to know,
And ev­er­more to hold con­fessed
Thyself of each the Spi­rit blest.