The older hymn, “Come Down, O Love Divine,” leads believers to better and more intimately engage with the Father and his abundant love.
Modern Christians might not be familiar with older hymns, but these songs hold incredible depth and inspiration. Many of them were born from personal trials and spiritual encounters, making them relevant and powerful even centuries later. The longest book of the Bible is Psalms, and we still gain depth and inspiration from those, as well. Rediscovering ancient hymns connects us to believers throughout Christian history. Rediscovering these timeless songs encourages our faith.
Looking at “Come Down O Love Divine,” we will see a universal cry of the human heart.
Who Wrote “Come Down, O Love Divine”?
The Italian mystic and Poet Bianca da Siena wrote the hymn “Come Down O Love Divine.” Born as Bianco da Lanciolina in Tuscany, Italy, sometime around 1350, he later became known as Bianco of Siena due to his affiliation with the mystical Saint Catherine of Siena. Bianco lived as part of a small community of lay leaders called the Jesuati, an order founded in the 1300s by Giovanni Colombini. The Jesuati focused on living with simplicity, piety, and full devotion to Jesus, and they participated in service and spiritual meditation. Bianco’s poetry expressed his community’s beliefs.
Bianco wrote “Come Down, O Love Divine” as one of many poems praising God’s love and personal devotion to the Holy Spirit. He originally wrote it in Italian, and the language evokes the warmth and purity of the Father’s love, encouraging us to be transformed by the Holy Spirit’s fire.
Although Bianco composed the poem in the 14th century, “Come Down, O Love Divine” didn’t reach a broader audience in the English-speaking world until later. In 1867, Richard Frederick Littledale, an Anglican priest, translated the poem into English. Littledale contributed to several hymns and translated older religious texts. His English translation of “Come Down, O Love Divine” preserved the mystic’s language and intent for use in congregational worship.
In 1906, composer Ralph Vaughn Williams put the words to music, and the hymn gained even more popularity. He set the lyrics to a popular tune, “Down Ampney,” named after his birthplace in Gloucestershire, England. Since poetry of the day often had similar rhythms and structures, and copyright law was yet to be developed, these lyrics could be set to common melodies. These common melodies allowed people to learn the song quickly. The melody Williams chose gave Bianco’s words a more solemn tone. He created a piece still sung today.
What are the Key Themes in “Come Down O Love Divine”?
Come down, O Love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.O let it freely burn,
till earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
and let thy glorious light
shine ever on my sight,
and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.Let holy charity
my outward vesture be,
and lowliness become my inner clothing;
true lowliness of heart
which takes the humbler part,
and for its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.And so the yearning strong,
with which the soul will long,
shall far outpass the power of human telling;
for none can guess its grace,
till Love create a place
wherein the Holy Spirit makes a dwelling.
The first verse begins with, “Come down, O Love divine, seek Thou this soul of mine, and visit it with Thine own ardor glowing.” The song starts with inviting the Holy Spirit to descend and ignite the soul with love for God. This plea can be seen in Psalms 51:10: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Even the Old Testament calls follower of God to have an inward change and transformation, the need for a change of our nature. Only God can accomplish this with his Spirit, which this hymn acknowledges. Romans 5:5 speaks of God’s love being “poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” This initial verse expresses the longing for a God-encounter that purifies the soul and activates our spirit with God’s Spirit.
The hymn continues in the second verse with, “O let it freely burn, till earthly passions turn to dust and ashes in its heat consuming.” The song’s lyrics move further with the theme of purification, asking the Holy Spirit’s fire to burn away worldly desires and distractions. These desires may or may not be inherently bad, but these desires draw us to things that don’t last and can’t satisfy us. The hymn’s imagery points to Malachi 3:2-3, where the prophet describes God as a refiner’s fire, purifying his people like silver and gold for their good and his glory. Galatians 5:16-17 calls us to live by the Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh, our human nature.
In the third verse, the song calls us to humility with, “And let Thy glorious light shine ever on my sight, and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.” God resists the proud but gives help and grace to the humble (James 4:6), so we should ask God for this humility and guidance to depend on his light rather than our own wisdom. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105). God is light and guides the way with his word, the things he shares with us from Scripture and through the Spirit. The hymn’s writer asks for God to make his way known and surround him with his presence to walk in faith. Further, Proverbs 3:5-6 underscores the theme of humility by calling us to “trust in the Lord with all your heart … and he will make your paths straight.”
Finally, the fourth verse expresses our need for divine rest and peace, found in God. “And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long, shall far outpass the power of human telling.” Our union with God finds fulfillment for what we desire, an inner peace no one can take away. Also the world can’t offer this peace. Philippians 4:7 describes the peace of God which “transcends all understanding” and “will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Peace comes from surrendering to God’s “divine love,” through Christ, as Psalm 42:1 says: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.”
How Do Modern Christians Use “Come Down, O Love Divine” in Modern Worship?
Modern churches continue to use “Come Down O Love Divine” in worship, especially in liturgical settings. Despite being written centuries ago, the message still encourages believers, particularly on Pentecost, Easter, and Trinity Sunday when Holy Spirit themes are included.
Many Anglican, Episcopal, and Catholic churches use the hymn during Pentecost when Christians celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. The plea for the Spirit to “come down” can be found in Acts 2, where the tongues of fire appear as a symbol of the Spirit’s power and presence. Methodist and Presbyterian churches also include the song in their hymnals. Congregations sing the song during times of personal or community consecration, encouraging members to renew their dedication to God and invite the Holy Spirit to do transformational work. Contemporary worship adapts the song with new musical arrangements, adding modern instrumentation or changing the melody or lyrics to be more accessible for today.
The hymn has seen various modern recordings from artists and choirs focusing on sacred and classical music, each bringing their own interpretation. Contemporary artists who celebrate older hymns on certain albums have rearranged and adapted the song for modern congregations, reintroducing “Come Down, O Love Divine” to new, younger audiences.
“Come Down, O Love Divine” can be found on streaming platforms, so if you have never heard the song, take time to explore a choral or modern version.
What Can Christians Today Learn from “Come Down O Love Divine”?
Christians today have a universal need for the Holy Spirit to “come down” and fill our souls. Only the Holy Spirit can give us identity as children of God and empower us to live rightly. Romans 8:9 teaches us that “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ,” revealing the Spirit’s central and essential role in our lives. This hymn reminds us faith is more than an intellectual acknowledgement of fact. Salvation requires inviting the Holy Spirit to dwell within us through repentance to Jesus. The Spirit gives us a living and transformational relationship with God. In John 14:16-17, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit as a helper who will be with us forever.
Part of our transformation includes understanding how our worldly desires can lead us to bondage and destruction, which causes us to reject them. We need the Holy Spirit for this, too, as the apostle Paul calls us in Romans 8:13 to put to death the deeds of the flesh, our human nature, “by the Spirit.” Following a moral code in our own strength becomes legalism and pride. Or we will allow the wrong sins to flourish. Or both. We must humble ourselves and submit to walking in the Spirit. Through that continual submission, he who is righteous will lead us to live righteous step by step.
Jesus gave the Holy Spirit, in part, to teach us all truth (John 16:13). Not some or most but all. Our humility must extend to our own ways of thinking, seeking God’s light more than the darkness of the world. This means trusting in God’s direction, especially when it seems difficult or we don’t fully understand. Our becoming more Christ-like happens first within, our spirit and soul. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2) The world attempts to make us conform to its ways; God’s Spirit transforms the way we think, which then results in transformed living, proving God’s complete and loving heart to others.
On this transformation journey, God provides us with his peace. The world bases peace on situation, the absence of conflict. This is easy to lose. God gives us his peace, eternal and transcendent over all circumstance, an inner peace originating with the unchanging God, unshakable. This peace guards our hearts and minds. God doesn’t ask us to deny our problems or tragedies but to view them in an eternal light where we can be secure he will work all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). This peace endures. And when we live in his peace, we also share it with others.
Through this hymn, we receive a call to live each day under the Spirit’s influence, finding peace and intimacy and purpose in Christ who loves us.
Peace.
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