Breathe On Me, Breath Of God
Breathe on Me, Breath of God
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine,
Till all this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.
EDWIN HATCH was a learned man who could string together sentences filled with many-syllable words. After all, he was a distinguished lecturer in ecclesiastical history at Oxford and a professor of classics at Trinity College in Quebec. His lectures “On the Organization of Early Christian Churches” were translated into German by the noted theologian Harnack. Few other English theologians had won European recognition for original research.
But when it came to expressing his faith, Hatch was “as simple and unaffected as a child.” This hymn is filled with one-syllable words and is a simple, heartfelt prayer.
Hatch knew that, while the words of his hymn were simple, the meaning was profound. At man’s creation, God breathed and man “became a living person” (Genesis 2:7). At our re-creation through Jesus, the breath of God brings spiritual life and power.
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Romans 8:11
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