Treasures old and new - what a joy be able to share this exquisite hymn with you! Many of us consider Linda Louisa’s new rendering of this powerful hymn to be still deeper than Ralph Vaughan Williams’ celebrated version.
The inspiring words were written by Bianco da Siena, a 14th century Italian poet from that much loved Tuscan city. The opening stanza calls on the Holy Spirit, who is both ‘Love divine’ and ‘The Comforter,’ for more of His presence in our lives. It then goes on to ask Him to consume all vestiges of pride and evil passion in us; to purify our love and to light our path.
The final stanza recognises that “our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within us” (1 Corinthians 6:19) – and looks forward to the amazing grace God has in store for us as the result of the Holy Spirit making His dwelling in us.
Bianco was a member of an order of laymen that John Colombinus of Siena set up, following the rule of St. Augustine. The order ended up being suppressed by the authorities, because they feared they could not control its fervour – a pattern we have seen repeated only too often in the course of history: when the Holy Spirit is poured out on a church or community, for the authorities go to great lengths first to rein it in, and then to suppress it altogether.
It was not until the mid-nineteenth century that Bianco's hymn was published, and then in Lucca, another city that means a great deal to me personally. From there it came to the attention of Richard Frederick Littledale, an Irish scholar who had had to lay his ministry as an Anglican vicar down as the result of a chronic illness. Richard went on to complete the work that his friend John Neale had done in translating many of the really great ancient hymns from the Latin. Praise God that He used even his indisposition to set him apart for a work he might never have got round to doing had he been caught up in the regular ministerial round.
May this new version of the hymn bless you greatly!
