Come holy Spirit the God mof might,
comforter of us all:
Teach us to know thy Word aright,
that we do never fall.
O Holy Ghost visit our coast,
defend us with thy shield:
Against all sin and wickednesse,
Lord help us wen the field.
Lord keep our King and his Concell,
and give them will and might
To preserve in they Gospell,
which can put sin to flight.
O Lord that giv'st thy holy word
send Preachers plenteously:
That in the same we may accord,
and therein live and die.
O holy Spirit direct aright
The Preachers of thy word,
That then by them maist cut down sin,
as it were with a sword.
Depart not from thy Pastors pure,
but aid them at their need.
Which breake to us the bread of life,
whereon our soles do feed.
O blessed Spriit of truth keep us
in peace and unity:
Keep us from sects and errors all,
and from all Papistry.
Convert all those that are our foes,
and bring them to thy light,
That they and we may well agree,
and praise thee day and night.
O Lord increase our faith in us,
and love so to abound:
That man and wife be void of strive,
and neighbours about us round.
In our time give thy peace O Lord,
to nations farre and nigh:
And teach them all thy holy Word,
that we may sing to thee.
All glory to the Trinity,
that is of mighties most:
The living Father and the Sonne,
and eke the Holy Ghost.
As it hath been in all the time
that hath beene heretofore,
As it is now, and so shall be
henceforth for evermore.
Source: The Whole Booke of Psalmes: collected into English meeter #89b
Ernest G. W. Wesley was born and educated in England. At the age of seventeen he started writing for local newspapers. When he was twenty-two he worked as special correspondent for The New York Times in Buenos Aries. While he was in Buenos Aries he became licensed to preach in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He came to the United States in the early 1870's and continued writing and contributing to religious and secular papers. He wrote between five and six hundred hymns and nearly two thousand articles on religious and theological topics.
Dianne Shapiro, from "The Singers and Their Songs: sketches of living gospel hymn writers" by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (Chicago: The Rodeheaver Company, 1916) Go to person page >
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