Spirit of truth, thy grace impart

Author: Thomas Cotterill

Thomas Cotterill (b. Cannock, Staffordshire, England, 1779; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1823) studied at St. John's College, Cambridge, England, and became an Anglican clergyman. A central figure in the dispute about the propriety of singing hymns, Cotterill published a popular collection of hymns (including many of his own as well as alterations of other hymns), Selection of Psalms and Hymns in 1810. But when he tried to introduce a later edition of this book in Sheffield in 1819, his congregation protested. Many believed strongly that the Church of England should maintain its tradition of exclusive psalm singing. In a church court the Archbishop of York and Cotterill reached a compromise: the later edition of Selection was withdrawn… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Spirit of truth, thy grace impart
Author:	Thomas Cotterill
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Notes

Spirit of Truth, Thy grace impart. [Whitsuntide.] This cento was given in the 1863 Appendix to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Psalms & Hymns, No. 236, as follows:—

1. "Spirit of Truth, Thy grace impart,
To guide our doubtful way;
Thy beams shall scatter every cloud,
And make a glorious day."

This is an altered form of stanzas v. of J. Needham's "Thy influence, mighty God, impart," from his Hymns, &c, 1768, p. 163.

2. "Light in Thy light, 0 may we see,
Thy grace and mercy prove,
Revived and cheered and blest by Thee
Spirit of peace and love."

This is lines 5-8 of C. Wesley's "Eternal Sun of Righteousness," from his Short Hymns, &c, 1762, No. 201.

3. "'Tis Thine to soothe the sorrowing mind,
With guilt and fear oppress'd;
'Tis Thine to bid the dying live,
And give the weary rest."

This is an altered form of stanzas ii. of J. Hart's "Bless'd Spirit of truth, eternal God," from his Hymns, &c, 1759, No. 5, slightly varied from T. Cotterill's Selection 1810, No. 66, "Eternal Spirit, Source of Truth."

4. "Subdue the power of every sin,
Whate'er that sin may be,
That we, in singleness of heart,
May worship only Thee."

Also from T. Cotterill's Selection, 1810, No. 66, as above.
In Thring's Collection, 1882, this text is repeated, together with a doxology from Tate & Brady with 1. 2 borrowed from C. Wesley.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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