Scripture Verse

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 2:2–3

Introduction

portrait
Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)

Words: Fan­ny Cros­by, in The Chris­tian Choir, by Ira D. San­key & James Mc­Gra­na­han, cir­ca 1885, num­ber 128.

Music: Lou­van Vir­gil C. Tay­lor, Chor­al An­thems (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: 1850) (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Tay­lor (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Descend, O flame of sac­red fire,
Now may we feel Thy quick­en­ing pow­er;
To pur­est love each heart in­spire,
And keep us in each try­ing hour.

Come like a rush­ing wind, we pray,
And let Thy pre­sence fill this place;
Oh, take our un­be­lief away,
Baptize us with Thy bound­less grace.

Come down from Hea­ven, O quench­less flame,
Through Christ, the ev­er­last­ing Son;
The rich­es of His love pro­claim,
And melt our ev­ery heart in one.