470. "Receive him... in the Lord with all gladness; and

hold such in reputation." Phil. ii. 29.

(On the Appointment of a Minister.)

1 WE bid thee welcome in the name
Of Jesus, our exalted Head.
Come as a Servant: so He came ;
And we receive thee in His stead.

L. M.

2 Come as a Shepherd: guard and keep
This fold from hell, and earth, and sin;
Nourish the lambs, and feed the sheep;
The wounded heal, the lost bring in.

3 Come as a Watchman: take thy stand
Upon thy tower amidst the sky;
And when the sword comes on the land,
Call us to fight, or warn to fly.

4 Come as an Angel, hence to guide
A band of pilgrims on their way;
That, safely walking at thy side,

We fail not, faint not, turn nor stray.

5 Come as a Teacher sent from God,

Charged His whole counsel to declare: Lift o'er our ranks the prophet's rod," While we uphold thy hands with prayer.

6 Come as a Messenger of peace,

Filled with the Spirit, fired with love:
Live to behold our large increase,
And die to meet us all above.

471. "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord." Gen. xxiv. 31.

C. M.

1 COME in, thou blessed of the Lord!
Stranger nor foe art thou.

We welcome thee with warm accord,
Our friend, our brother, now.

2 The hand of fellowship, the heart
Of love, we offer thee.

Leaving the world, thou dost but part
From lies and vanity.

3 The cup of blessing which we bless,
The heavenly bread we break,
(Our Saviour's blood and righteousness,)
Freely with us partake.

4 In weal or wo, in joy or care,
Thy portion shall be ours.
Christians their mutual burdens bear:
They lend their mutual powers.

5 Come with us; we will do thee good,
As God to us hath done.

Stand but in Him, as those have stood,
Whose faith the victory won.

6 And when, by turns, we pass away,
. As star by star grows dim,
May each, translated into day,
Be lost and found in Him.

472.

"I will pay my vows unto the Lord, now in the presence of all his people." Psalm cxvi. 14.

C. M.

1 WITNESS, ye men and angels now!
Before the Lord we speak.

To Him we make our solemn vow,-
A vow we dare not break ;-

2 That, long as life itself shall last,
Ourselves to Christ we yield;
Nor from His cause will we depart,
Or ever quit the field.

3 We trust not in our native strength,
But on His grace rely,

That, with returning wants, the Lord
Will all our need supply.

4 Oh guide our doubtful feet aright,
And keep us in Thy ways;

And while we turn our vows to prayers,
Turn Thou our prayers to praise.

473.

"Unto you

....

which believe he is precious.

1 Pet. ii. 7. L. M.

1 KINDRED in Christ, for His dear sake, A hearty welcome here receive. May we together now partake

The joys which only He can give.

2 To you and us by grace 'tis given,

T

To know the Saviour's precious name; And shortly we shall meet in heaven, Our hope, our way, our end the same.

3 May He by whose kind care we meet, Send His good Spirit from above, Make our communications sweet,

And cause our hearts to burn with love! 4 Forgotten be each worldly theme,

When Christians meet together thus:
We only wish to speak of Him

Who lived, and died, and reigns for us. 5 We'll talk of all He did, and said, And suffered for us here below; The path He marked for us to tread, And what He's doing for us now. 6 Thus, as the moments pass away,

We'll love, and wonder, and adore;
And hasten on the glorious day,

When we shall meet to part no more.

474. "That... he might gather together in one all things in Christ." Eph. i. 10. C. M. 1 HAPPY the souls to Jesus joined, And saved by grace alone: Walking in all His ways, they find Their heaven on earth begun.

2 The church triumphant in Thy love,-
Their mighty joys we know:

They sing the Lamb in hymns above,
And we in hymns below.

3 Thee, in Thy glorious realm, they praise,
And bow before Thy throne:
We in the kingdom of Thy grace ;—
The kingdoms are but one.

4 The holy to the holiest leads;

From thence our spirits rise:
And he that in Thy statutes treads,
Shall meet Thee in the skies.

475.

1

2

3

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the
law of Christ." Gal. vi. 2. S. M.

BLEST is the tie that binds
Our hearts in christian love:
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

Before our Father's throne
We pour our ardent prayers;

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,

Our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear,
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

4 From sorrow, toil, and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,

And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

476.

"Where there is neither Greek nor Jew

Christ is all and in all."

but

Col. iii. 11.

1

S. M.

LET party names no more

The Christian world o'erspread : Gentile and Jew, and bond and free, re one in Christ their Head