Scripture Verse

Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Romans 8:15

Introduction

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems 1740, page 131.

Music: Ze­bu­lun ano­ny­mous, in The Pri­mi­tive Me­tho­dist Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by George Booth (Lon­don: Pri­mi­tive Me­tho­dist Pub­lish­ing House, 1889), num­ber 189 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Lyrics

Father, if Thou my Fa­ther art,
Send forth the Spi­rit of Thy Son,
Breathe Him into my pant­ing heart,
And make me know as I am known;
Make me Thy con­scious child, that I
May Fa­ther, Ab­ba, Fa­ther, cry.

I want the Spi­rit of pow­er within,
Of love, and of a health­ful mind;
Of power to con­quer in­bred sin;
Of love, to Thee and all man­kind;
Of health, that pain and death de­fies,
Most vi­gor­ous when the bo­dy dies.

When shall I hear the in­ward voice,
Which only faith­ful souls can hear?
Pardon, and peace, and hea­ven­ly joys
Attend the promised Com­fort­er;
O come, and right­eous­ness divine,
And Christ, and all with Christ, are mine!

O that the Com­fort­er would come,
Nor vi­sit as a tran­si­ent guest;
But fix in me His con­stant home,
And take pos-ses-sion of my breast,
And fix in me His loved abode,
The tem-ple of in-dwell-ing God!

Come, Ho-ly Ghost, my heart in-spire,
Attest that I am born again;
Come and bap-tize me now with fire,
Nor let Thy for-mer gifts be vain;
I can-not rest in sins for-giv-en;
Where is the ear-nest of my heav-en?

Where the in-dub-i-ta-ble seal
That as-cer-tains the king-dom mine?
The po-wer-ful stamp I long to feel,
The sig-na-ture of love di-vine?
O shed it in my heart abroad,
Fullness of love, of Heav-en, of God!