589. Holy Spirit, Gracious Guest

Holy Spirit, gracious guest, Hear and grant our heart’s request For that gift supreme and best: Holy heav’nly love. Faith that mountains could remove, Tongues of earth or heaven above, Knowledge, all things, empty prove If I have no 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. Love is kind and suffers long, Love is pure and thinks no wrong, Love than death it self more strong: Therefore give us love. Prophecy will fade away, Melting in the light of day; Love will ever with us stay: Therefore give us love. Faith and hope and love we see Joining hand in hand agree- But the greatest of the three, And the best is love.