Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove

 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.  Acts 2:2-4

Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Come, Holy Spirit, Heav'nly Dove,
with all They quick'ning pow'rs;
kindle a flame of sacred love
in these cold hearts of ours.

Look, how we grovel here below,

fond of these earthly toys;

our souls, how heavily they go,

to reach eternal joys.

In vain we tune our formal songs,

invain we strive to rise;

Hosannas languish on our tongues,

and our devotion dies.

Father, and shall we ever live

at this poor dying rate.

Our love so faint, so cold to Thee,

and Thine to us, so great?

Come, Holy Spirit, Heav'nly Dove,

with all Thy quick'ning pow'rs;

Come, shed abroad a Savior's love,

and that shall kindle ours.

.....

Isaac Watts was disturbed with "business-as-usual" Christianity.  He knew that the only way Christians could be shaken out of their lethargy was if they had a fresh touch of the Spirit.  Just as Jesus is described both as a meek lamb and a fearsome lion, so the Holy Spirit is described as both a dove and fire.  Sometimes Christians need to experience the Holy Spirit as a gentle dove, but often we need to know Him as a roaring fire.  

One stanza of this hymn that is often omitted from this hymn is "Father, and shall we ever live at this poor dying rate, our love so faint, so cold to Thee, and Thine to us so great?"  It was this contrast between our love for us that disturbed Watts.  He knew that only the fire of the Spirit could kindle our hearts into deeper love.

Let us pray to seek how the Spirit is working and be ever-mindful of His gentle nudging.  

.....

Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove (St Agnes) - YouTube (with sheet music)

And now for something completely different: 

Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove (ST. AGNES) - YouTube