Call'd to preach the reign of heaven,
And the gospel jubilee;

Jesus asks us;

"Simon Peter, lov'st thou me?"

2 Lord, thou knowest that we love thee;
Oh for grace to love thee more:

Let our notes of praise now move thee
Down upon our souls to pour

Thy good Spirit,

Then we all shall love thee more.

3 When the sacred page we ponder,
Shine upon it from above,

When we gaze with deepest wonder
On the bleeding Saviour's love,
Holy Spirit,

Then our warm affections move,
Teach us all our high vocation,
Fill us with the love of souls,
Spread abroad thy great salvation
From the centre to the poles,
Till the Saviour
Sees the travail of his soul.

5 Grant us heav'nly strength and blessing,
To be faithful to the end,
Let not one thy love possessing
Join at last th' Iscariot band!
O the traitor!

Save us, Jesus, from his end!

6 Sooner may the rocks and mountains
Fall upon us from on high,

And our life blood's deepest fountains
In our inmost souls go dry,

Than betray him
Who to save us left the sky,

JESUS. thy wand'ring sheep behold!
See, Lord, with yearning bowels, see,

Poor souls that cannot find the fold,
Till sought and gather'd in by thee.
2 Lost are they now, and scatter'd wide,
In pain, and weariness, and want;
With no kind Shepherd near, to guide
The sick, and spiritless and faint.

3 Thou, only thou, the kind and good,
And sheep-redeeming Shepherd art;
Collect thy flock, and give them food
And pastors after thine own heart.
4 Give the pure word of gen'ral grace,
And great shall be the preacher's crowd;
Preachers, who all the sinful race
Point to the all atoning blood.

5 In every messenger reveal

The grace they preach divinely free; That each may by thy Spirit tell,

"He died for all, who died for me."

6 A double portion from above,

Of thine all-quick'ning grace impart;
Shed forth thy universal love,
In every faithful Pastor's heart.

557.

- L. M.

Ministerial Love. Job xxix. 2
THAT I were as heretofore;

When first sent forth in Jesus' name,

I rush'd through every open door,

And cried to all, "behold the Lamb!"

2 The God who kills and makes alive,

To me the quickening power impart;
Thy grace restore, thy work revive,
Retouch my lips, renew my heart.
S I would the precious time redeem,
And longer live for this alone,
To spend, and to be spent for them
Who have not yet my Saviour known.

4 My talents, gifts, and graces, Lord,
Into thy blessed hands receive;
And let me live to preach thy word,
And let me for thy glory live.

5 Enlarge, inflame, and fill my heart
With boundless charity divine:

So shall I all my strength exert,

And love them with a zeal like thine.

558.

2

P. M.

Minister's Complaint. Gal. iv. 16,
WHAT contradictions meet,
In ministers' employ!

It is a bitter sweet-
A sorrow full of joy;
No other post affords a place
For equal honour or disgrace!

Who can describe the pain
Which faithful preachers feel,
Constrain'd to preach in vain,
To hearts as hard as steel?

Or who can tell the pleasures felt,
When stubborn hearts begin to melt?

The Saviour's dying love,
The soul's amazing worth,
Their utmost efforts move,

And draw their bowels forth:

They pray and strive-their rest departs, Till Christ be form'd in sinners' hearts.

If some small hope appear,
They still are not content;
But with a jealous fear,

They watch for the event:

Too oft they find their hopes deceiv'd;

Then how their inmost souls are griev'd!

But when their pains succeed,

And from the tender blade

The rip'ning ears proceed,
Their toils are overpaid:
No harvest-joy can equal theirs,
To find the fruit of all their cares.

559.

1

P. M.

The Minister's Prayer.

SHEPHERD of souls, if thou indeed
Hast rais'd me up thy flock to feed,
(Thy meanest servant me,)

O may I all thy burdens share,
And gently in my bosom bear,
The lambs redeem'd by thee.

2 Thy Spirit send me from above,
Spirit of meek, long-suffering love,
Of all-sufficient grace;

Endue me with thy constant mind,
So good, so obstinately kind
To our rebellious race.

3 A faithful steward of my Lord,
Give me to minister thy word,
And in thy steps to tread;
By every sore temptation tried,
By sufferings fully qualified
Thy ailing flock to lead.

560.

L. M.

HIGH on his everlasting throne

The King of saints his work surveys,
Marks the dear souls he calls his own,
And smiles on the peculiar race.

2 See where the servants of the Lord,
A busy multitude, appear;
For Jesus day and night employ'd,
His heritage they toil to clear.

3 'The love of Christ their hearts constrains, And strengthens their unwearied hands

They spend their sweat, and blood, and pains,
To cultivate Emmanuel's land.
Jesus their toil delighted sees,

Their industry vouchsafes to crown;
He kindly gives the wish'd increase,
And sends the promis'd blessing down.
5 O multiply thy sowers' seed,

And fruit they every hour shall bear,
Throughout the world thy gospel spread,
Thine everlasting truth declare!

1 DRAW near, O Son of God, draw near, Us with thy flaming eye behold;

Still in thy church vouchsafe t' appear, And let our candlestick be gold." 2 Still hold the stars in thy right hand, And let them in thy lustre glow, The lights of a benighted land, The angels of thy church below. 3 Make good their apostolic boast,

Their high commission let them prove, Be temples of the Holy Ghost,

And fill'd with faith, and hope, and love. 4 Their hearts from things of earth remove, Sprinkle them, Lord, from sin and fear; Fix their affections all above,

And lay up all their treasures there. 5 Give them an ear to hear thy word; Thou speakest to the churches now: And let all tongues confess their Lord, Let every knee to Jesus bow.

S. M.

562. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armour

1

EQUIP

of God. Eph. vi. 13.

me for the war,

And teach my hands to fight;