O come, Eternal Spirit

1 O come, Eternal Spirit
Of truth, diffuse Thou light!
Shine in our soul and banish
All blindness from our sight!
Thy holy fire pour o'er us,
Touch heart and lip, that we
With faithful, good confession
Acknowledge Christ and Thee.

2 O Thou, whom our great Monarch
Hath promised unto us,
Blest Comforter, come to us,
And make us chivalrous.
In these times of indiff'rence
And dearth of faith, O come!
And ply the keen-edged weapons
Of early Christendom.

3 Rank unbelief is rampant,
Mad folly storms the sky,
Hence Thou Thyself must arm us
With weapons from on high:
With wisdom, grace, endurance,
And faith robust, and then
Entirely banish from us
All false respect for men.

4 These times call for decision,
Though foes 'gainst us inveigh;
For open, bold confession,
Whate'er the world may say:
In spite of all the glitter
Of gilded heathendom,
To praise, defend, and cherish
Christ's Gospel till He come.

5 Afar, o'er heathen darkness,
The powerful Word breaks day;
They cast, with Satan's shackles,
Their household-gods away;
From every side they hasten
Into the Savior's fold,
And oh! shall it close to us
As to the lost of old!

6 Alas! we truly merit
Such judgment as our lot;
To us the light is shining,
But we receive it not!
O grant us greater fervor
T' impolre Thy grace, dear Lord,
That from us be not taken
The light of Thy blest Word.

7 Pour, Spirit, o'er all nations
A Pentecostal shower,
The Word of testimony
Accompany with power,
The heart and lips may open—
The nations' and our own—
And we, through joy and sorrow,
Make Christ's salvation known.

Source: Evangelical Lutheran hymnal: with music #160