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 ill'd with faith, and hope, and love. 4 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.

214

For a blessing on ministers.

JESUS, thy servants bless,

S. M.

Who, sent by thee, proclaim
The peace, and joy, and righteousness
Experienced in thy name:

The kingdom of our God,

Which grace divine imparts;
The power of thy victorious blood,-
Which reigns in faithful hearts.
2 Their souls with faith supply,-
With life and liberty;

And then they preach and testify
The things concerning thee:
And live for this alone,-

Thy grace to minister;

And all thou hast for sinners done,
In life and death declare.

215

For the success of ministers.

L. M.

FATHER of mercies, bow thine ear,

Attentive to our earnest prayer:

We plead for those who plead for thee: Successful pleaders may they be.

2 O, clothe their words with power divine,
And let those words be ever thine;
To them thy sacred truth reveal;
Suppress their fear, inflame their zeal.
3 Teach them to sow the precious seed;
Teach them thy chosen flock to feed;
Teach them immortal souls to gain,-
And thus reward their toil and pain.
4 Let thronging multitudes around
Hear from their lips the joyful sound;
In humble strains thy grace implore,
And feel thy Spirit's living power.
216

C. M.

God's blessing ensures success.
TOW, Lord, fulfil thy faithful word,-
Thy servants' labours bless;

Now let the prayer of faith be heard,
And grant thein full success.

2 Long have they in thy vineyard wrought, And with unwearied toil;

Alas! they spend their strength for naught, Upon a sterile soil.

3 Arise, O God, exert thy power;
Thy people's hopes sustain;

And richly on thy vineyard shower
The first and latter rain.

4 Lord, we commend the work to thee;
Thy servants guide and bless;

Thy guidance gives security,-
Thy blessing,-full success.

217

He giveth the increase.

TIGH on his everlasting throne,

HIGH

L. M.

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

He rests well pleased their toils to see;
Beneath his easy yoke they move:
With all their heart and strength agree
In the sweet labour of his love.

8 See where the servants of the Lord,
A busy multitude, appear:

For Jesus day and night employ'd,
His heritage they toil to clear.

4 The love of Christ their hearts constrains,
And strengthens their unwearied hands;
They spend their sweat, and blood, and pains,
To cultivate Immanuel's lands.

5 Jesus their toil delighted sees,

Their industry vouchsafes to clown:
He kindly gives the wish'd increase,
And sends the promised blessing down.

218

4th P. M. 886, 886.

Entire dependence on Christ.

EXCEPT the Lord conduct the plan,
The best concerted schemes are vain,
And never can succeed;

We spend our wretched strength for naught;
But if our works in thee be wrought,

They shall be blest indeed.

2 Lord, if thou didst thyself inspire
Our souls with this intense desire,
Thy goodness to proclaim;
Thy glory if we now intend,
( let our deeds begin and end
Complete in Jesus' name.

3 In Jesus' name behold we meet,
Far from an evil world retreat,
And all its frantic ways;

One only thing resolved to know,
And square our useful lives below,
By reason and by grace.

4 Not in the tombs we pine to dwell,
Not in the dark monastic cell,
By vows and grates confined;
Freely to all ourselves we give,
Constrain'd by Jesus' love to live
The servants of mankind.

5 Now, Jesus, now thy love impart,
To govern each devoted heart,
And fit us for thy will;

Deep founded in the truth of grace,
Build up thy rising Church, and place
The city on the hill.

1

6 O let our love and faith abound;
O let our lives, to all around,
With purest lustre shine;

That all around our works may see,
And give the glory, Lord, to thee,
The heavenly light divine.

219

C. M.

The minister's only business."

JESUS, the Name high over all,
In hell, or earth, or sky;
Angels and men before it fall,
And devils fear and fly.

2 Jesus, the Name to sinners dear,-
The Name to sinners given;
It scatters all their guilty fear;
It turns their hell to heaven.

3 Jesus the pris'ner's fetters breaks,
And bruises Satan's head;

Power into strengthless souls he speaks, And life into the dead.

4 O that the world might taste and see The riches of his grace;

The arms of love that compass me,
Would all mankind embrace.

5 His only righteousness I show,-
His saving truth proclaim:
'Tis all my business here below,
To cry,-Behold the Lamb!

6 Happy, if with my latest breath
I may but gasp his name;

Preach him to all, and ery in death,
Behold, behold the Lamb!

220

Success certain.

LORD, at comme sow,
Water'd by thy almighty hand,
The seed shall surely grow:
The virtue of thy grace

ORD, if at thy command

A large increase shall give, And multiply the faithful race, Who to thy glory live.

2 Now, then, the ceaseless shower
Of gospel blessings send,

And let the soul-converting power
Thy ministers attend.

On multitudes confer

The heart-renewing love,

And by the joy of grace prepare

For fuller joys above.

221

S. M.

S. M.

Labourers in the vineyard of the Lord.

AND let our bodies part,

To diff'rent climes repair;

Inseparably join'd in heart

The friends of Jesus are.

20 let us still proceed

In Jesus' work below;

And, foll'wing our triumphant Head,

To further conquests go.