Come, Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire
Come, Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire;
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
Who dost Thy sevenfold gifts impart.
Thy blessed unction from above
Is comfort, life, and fire of love;
Enable with perpetual light
The dullness of our blinded sight.
Anoint and cheer our soiled face
With the abundance of Thy grace;
Keep far our foes; give peace at home;
Where Thou art guide, no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son,
And Thee, of both, to be but One;
That through the ages all along
This, this may be our endless song:
Praise to Thy eternal merit
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Translated by John Cosin (1594–1672)
THE HOLY SPIRIT is often associated with fire. John the Baptist spoke of Jesus baptizing people with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Sure enough, when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, He appeared as tongues of fire resting on each believer.
There are seven gifts of the Spirit mentioned in Romans 12:6-8. This may be behind the “sevenfold gifts” of this hymn’s first stanza. Of course 1 Corinthians 12 offers another dozen or so, and Ephesians adds a few more. So it’s more likely that the author used seven as the number of perfection or completeness, as it is often used throughout Scripture.
Anointing had two purposes in Scripture. Ritually, it was used as a sign of God’s special empowerment for kings, prophets, and priests. But in everyday life it was a way of refreshing and cleansing. The Spirit does all that for us, empowering us to serve God as well as offering spiritual refreshment.
Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
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