2 'Tis not a cause of small import,
The pastor's care demands;
But what might fill an angel's heart,
And fill'd a Saviour's hands.

3 They watch for souls for which the Lord Did heavenly bliss forego;

For souls, which must forever live
In raptures, or in wo.

4 May they in Jesus, whom they preach, Their own Redeemer see;

And watch thou daily o'er their souls, may watch for thee.

That

207

The labourers are few.

LO

ORD of the harvest, hear
Thy needy servants' cry;
Answer our faith's effectual prayer,
And all our wants supply.

S. M.

2 On thee we humbly wait,-
Our wants are in thy view;
The harvest, truly, Lord, is great,
The labourers are few.

4 0 let them spread thy name,—
Their mission fully prove;
Thy universal grace proclaim,-
Thine all-redeeming love.

208

3 Convert and send forth more
Into thy Church abroad,

And let them speak thy word of power,
As workers with their God.

L.M.

Pastors after thine own heart. 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 preachers' crowd:
Preachers who all the sinful race

Point to the all-atoning blood.

5 Thine only glory let them seek;

O let their hearts with love o'erflow; Let them believe, and therefore speak, And spread thy mercy's praise below.

209

Prepare ye the way of the Lord.

of

Comfort the people of your Lord; O lift ye up the fallen race,

And cheer them by the Gospel word.

L. M.

2 Go into every nation, go;

Speak to their trembling hearts, and cry,-
Glad tidings unto all we show:
Jerusalem, thy God is nigh.

3 Hark! in the wilderness a cry,
A voice that loudly calls,-Prepare;
Prepare your hearts, for God is nigh,

And waits to make his entrance there.
4 The Lord your God shall quickly come;
Sinners, repent, the call obey:
Open your hearts to make him room;
Ye desert souls, prepare the way.

5

5 The Lord shall clear his way through all; Whate'er obstructs, obstructs in vain; The vale shall rise, the mountain fall, Crooked be straight, and rugged plain. 6 The glory of the Lord display'd Shall all mankind together view; And what his mouth in truth hath said, His own almighty hand shall do. 210

C. M.

Let thy priests be clothed with salvation.

JESUS, the word of mercy give,

And it run;

And let the priests themselves believe,
And put salvation on.

2 Jesus, let all thy servants shine
Illustrious as the sun;

And, bright with borrow'd rays divine,
Their glorious circuit run.

3 Beyond the reach of mortals, spread
Their light where'er they go;
And heavenly influences shed
On all the world below.

4 As giants may they run their race,
Exulting in their might;

As burning luminaries chase
The gloom of hellish night.

5 As the bright Sun of righteousness,
Their healing wings display;
And let their lustre still increase
Unto the perfect day.

211

L. M.

Labourers together with God. THUS saith the Lord-'tis God commands; Workers with God, the charge obey; Remove whate'er his work withstands,Prepare, prepare his people's way.

2 Lift up, for all mankind to see,
The standard of their Saviour God,
And point them to the shameful tree,—
The cross, all stain'd with hallow'd blood.
3 Himself prepares his people's hearts,-
Breaks and binds up, and wounds and heals;
A mystic death and life imparts;
Empties the full, the emptied fills:
4 He fills whom first he hath prepared;
With him the perfect grace is given:
Himself is here our great reward,-
Our future and our present heaven.

212

Sow beside all waters.

in the morn thy seed;

S. M.

Sow

To doubt and fear give thou no heed,-
Broad-cast it o'er the land.

2 Thou know'st not which shall thrive,-
The late or early sown;

Grace keeps the precious germ alive,
When and wherever strown:

3 And duly shall appear,
In verdure, beauty, strength,
The tender blade, the stalk, the ear,
And the full corn at length.
4 Thou canst not toil in vain :

Cold, heat, and moist, and dry, Shall foster and mature the grain For garners in the sky.

213

L. M.

The angels of the churches.
RAW near, O Son of God, draw near;

eye'

Still in thy Church do thou 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 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

2 Their souls with faith supply,-
With life and liberty;

S. M.

For a blessing on ministers.

JES

ESUS, thy servants bless,
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.

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.

of

bow thine ear,

Attentive to our earnest prayer:
We plead for those who plead for thee:
Successful pleaders may they be.