Ancient and Modern ‎#238a

238a. Come down, O Love divine

1 Come down, O Love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardour glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

2 O let it freely burn,
till earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
and let thy glorious light
shine ever on my sight,
and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

3 Let holy charity
mine outward vesture be,
and lowliness become mine inner clothing:
true lowliness of heart,
which takes the humbler part,
and o'er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

4 And so the yearning strong,
with which the soul will long,
shall far outpass the power of human telling;
for none can guess its grace,
till he become the place
wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.

Text Information

• First Line: Come down, O Love divine
• Italian Title: Discendi, amor santo
• Author: Bianco da Siena (d. 1434)
• Translator: Richard Frederick Littledale (1833-1890)
• Meter: 66 11 D
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 2013
• Scripture:
  John 13:31-35
  ;
  Romans 8:1-11
  ;
  Ephesians 3:14-21
• Topic: Church Year: Pentecost; Holy Spirit: as Comforter; Holy Spirit: Fruit of; Holy Spirit: Invocation of; Humility; Light; Longing; Penitence; Pentecost; Pentecost and the Work of the Holy Spirit; Proper 12: Year B; The Second Sunday of Epiphany: Year C; The Third Sunday before Lent: Year C

Tune Information

• Name: DOWN AMPNEY
• Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
• Meter: 66 11 D
• Key: D Major
• Copyright: From The English Hymnal, 1906, Reproduced by permission of Oxford University Press. All rights reserved