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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 138

Come, blessed Spirit, source of light

Words: Benjamin BeddomeC.M.

Studio

1Come, blessed Spirit, source of light,
Whose power and grace are unconfined,
Dispel the gloomy shades of night,
The thicker darkness of the mind.

2To my enlightened eyes display
The glorious truth thy words reveal;
Cause me to run the heavenly way,
Make me delight to do thy will.

3Thine inward teachings make me know,
The wonders of redeeming love;
The vanity of things below,
And excellence of things above.

4While through those dubious paths I stray,
Spread, like the sun, thy beams abroad;
Show me the dangers of the way,
And guide my feeble steps to God.

Meter
C.M.
Scripture
John 16:13; Ephesians 1:18

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
7.8.8.8 · the hymnal prints C.M.
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 61% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary · * a word sung short, as “heav’n”

Verse 1

Come, blessed Spirit, source of light,///˘/˘/7A
Whose power and grace are unconfined,˘/˘/˘/˘/8B*
Dispel the gloomy shades of night,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
The thicker darkness of the mind.˘/˘/˘˘˘/8B

Verse 2

To my enlightened eyes display˘˘//˘/˘/8A
The glorious truth thy words reveal;˘/˘///˘/8B*
Cause me to run the heavenly way,/˘˘/˘/˘/8A*
Make me delight to do thy will./˘˘/˘˘/˘8C

Verse 3

Thine inward teachings make me know,//˘/˘/˘/8A
The wonders of redeeming love;˘/˘˘˘/˘/8B
The vanity of things below,˘/˘˘˘/˘/8A
And excellence of things above.˘/˘˘˘/˘/8B

Verse 4

While through those dubious paths I stray,//˘/˘˘/˘/9A
Spread, like the sun, thy beams abroad;//˘///˘/8B
Show me the dangers of the way,/˘˘/˘˘˘/8A
And guide my feeble steps to God.˘/˘/˘/˘/8C

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.