Scripture Verse

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. Acts 2:2–3

Introduction

portrait
James Montgomery
(1771–1854)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: James Mont­go­me­ry, 1819.

Music: St. Mi­chael, me­lo­dy by Lou­is Bour­geois, in the French Ge­ne­van Psal­ter, 1551. Adapt­ed by Will­iam Crotch in his Psalm Tunes, 1836 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
William Crotch (1775–1847)

Lyrics

Lord God, the Ho­ly Ghost,
In this ac­cept­ed hour,
As on the day of Pen­te­cost,
Descend in all Thy pow­er.

We meet with one ac­cord
In our ap­point­ed place
And wait the pro­mise of our Lord,
The Spir­it of all grace.

Like migh­ty rush­ing wind
Upon the waves be­neath,
Move with one im­pulse ev­ery mind;
One soul, one feel­ing breathe.

The young, the old in­spire
With wis­dom from above;
And give us hearts and tongues of fire,
To pray, and praise, and love.

Spirit of light, ex­plore
And chase our gloom away,
With lus­ter shin­ing more and more
Unto the per­fect day.

Spirit of truth, be Thou
In life and death, our guide;
O Spir­it of adop­tion, now
May we be sanc­ti­fied!