Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
BIBLE REFERENCE:

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may
abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth
with you, and shall be in you.
John 14:16-17

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever
I have said unto you.
John 14:26

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father,
even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 15:26

Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. Acts 9:31

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:3-5

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13

Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: Ephesians 1:16-17
George Croly - Lyrics
1780-1860
Born: August 17, 1780, Dublin, Ireland.
Died: November 24, 1860, Holborn, England.
Frederick Cook Atkinson - Composer
1841-1896
HYMN HISTORY:

Following Resurrection Sunday, there are two other important Church calender days which many Christians often neglect to recognize. The first is Day the Lord Jesus Christ Ascending into heaven - forty days following His Resurrection. The second important day is Pentecost-ten days after Jesus Christ’s ascension. It is thrilling at Christmas to recall the events of our Savior’s birth, or at His Resurrection and his triumph over death. Yet if He had never ascended to make intercession for us or had never sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within and to guide us, our relationship with God would be most incomplete.

One of the finest of all hymns for Pentecost is this hymn, “Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart.” It was written by the Rev. George Croly, a minister in the Anglican Church. Croly was born in Dublin, Ireland, and was graduated from Trinity College. He came to London, England, around 1810, where he served a small parish church. He was also active during this time as a literary writer of poems and novels as well as biographical, historical and scriptural material. Later, in 1835, he was asked by the church’s leadership to re-open a church in the worst slum area of London, St. Stephen’s Church, which had been closed for more than a century. His forceful, magnetic preaching soon attracted large crowds. Croly was characterized by his associated as a “Fundamentalist in theology, a fierce conservative in politics, and a intensely opposed to all forms of liberalism.”

In 1854, when he was sevnty-four years of age, he desired a new hymnal for his congergation and eventually prepared and published his own Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship. This text is from that collection and was originally entitled “Holiness Desired.” It is Croly’s only surviving hymn from that collection.

The tune, “Morecambe,” was written by Frederick C. Atkinson, an English church organist, in 1870. It was originally intended for Henry Lyte’s hymn, “Abide with Me.” It is thought that the tune was named after an English town in Midland district where music festivals were held periodically.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The four stanzas of this hymn, though strongly personal, have a moving, message for each of us today.
Stanza 1.




Stanza 2.






Stanza 3.






Stanza 4.
"And make me love Thee as I ought to love." A desire to change the focus of one’s life from things temporal to thing’s spiritual.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Matthew 22:37

"O let me seek Thee, and O let me find!" The total dedication on one's self to God- “soul, heart, strength and mind.”

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Isaiah 55:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

"Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer." - A prayerful concern for knowing fully the Spirit's abiding presence as an antidote for the soul’s impatience when confronted with struggle, doubt, rebellion, or a delayed answer to prayer- “teach me patience of unanswered prayer.”

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6

" My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame ."  - The last phrase of this verse is considered by many students of hymnody to be one of the most beautiful metaphors found in any hymn - “my heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.”

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2
While writing to the Romans in Chapter 12 Paul addresses them as his brethren in Christ and by the mercies of God, to present their bodies as a living sacrifice to Him. This is a powerful appeal.

We receive from the Lord every day the fruits of his mercy. Let us present ourselves; all we are, all we have, all we can do, as a living sacrifice. This is acceptable to God.

Sanctification is the dying to sin more and more, and living to righteousness more and more. We are to carry on this renewing work till it is perfected in glory. The great enemy to this renewal of our minds is the conformity to this world. Be careful not to form plans for happiness and success, if they are formed in the things of this world which soon pass away. We are not to fellowship with those who walk in the lusts of the flesh, and mind earthly things.

The work of the Holy Ghost first begins in our hearts and minds, and is carried on to the will, affections, and conversation, till there is a change of the whole man into the likeness of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness. Thus, to be godly, is to give up ourselves wholly and completely to God.
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