Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost

Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost. Christopher Wordsworth* (1807-1885). First published in The Holy Year (1862), where it is assigned to Quinquagesima, the Sunday before Lent. In its original the hymn had eight verses. The Appendix (1868) to A&M omitted two verses, beginning ‘Faith that mountains could remove’ (perhaps because of the false stress on ‘without’) and ‘Though I as a martyr bleed’: Faith, that mountains could remove, Tongues of earth or Heaven above, Knowledge - all things - empty prove,  Without heavenly Love. Though I as a Martyr bleed, Give my goods the poor to feed, All is vain, if love I need;  Therefore, give me Love.   Other verses sometimes omitted are those beginning...