4 In darkness be their guiding light,
In toil their stay and strength;
And let them not the conflict fear,
Its soreness or its length.

5 For conflicts here, in heaven are crowns;
For toil, is sweet repose;

For pain and grief, is rapture high,
A solace for all woes.

C.M.

R. A. B.

939 Ye were as sheep going astray, but are now

returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your
souls.-
.—1 Peter ii. 25.

1 ING loud for joy, ye saints of God,
Sing loud, ye angels blest,

For once these wandered far and lone,
But now in Christ they rest.

2 O'er mountains bare, through deserts wild,
And darkened vales they strayed,
But on them now the Shepherd's hand
With loving power is laid.

3 O Saviour, keep them evermore
Within Thy happy fold;

And may their kindled love for Thee
Never grow faint or cold.

4 Protect and bless while foes assail,

Give them Thy peace to know;

Then bring them to that better land
Where living waters flow;—

5 That better land where Thou dost lead
Thy flock through pastures green,
And our blest eyes shall see our Lord,
Whom now we love unseen.

940

I

2

3

S.M. JAMES MONTGOMERY.

Let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant.-Jeremiah 1. 5.

COM

OME, ye that fear the Lord,
And love Him while ye fear;
Come, and with heart and hand record,

Your vow and covenant here.

Vow to be His alone,

Who bought you with a price;
Now render back to God His own,
By free-will sacrifice.

Here to His altar brought,

Your covenant renew,

To be in word, and deed, and thought,

Faithful to Him and true.

And true and faithful He

4

To you will ever prove,

Though hills were swept into the sea,
And mountains should remove.

5

Then be His law our choice,

The joy of young and old,

6

As sheep that hear their shepherd's voice,

And follow to the fold.

So shall His staff and rod,

Conduct us and defend;

God is a covenant-keeping God,

And loves unto the end.

C.M. [JAMES NEWTON.]

941 They commended them to the Lord, on whom

they believed.—Acts xiv. 23.

I ET plenteous grace descend on those
Who, hoping in Thy word,

This day have publicly declared
That Jesus is their Lord.

2 With cheerful feet may they advance,
And run the Christian race;
And, through the troubles of the way
Find all-sufficient grace.

C.M.

942 We will serve the Lord.—Joshua xxiv. 15.

I

B

EFORE Thine awful presence, Lord,
Thy sinful servants bow;

Trembling to speak the solemn word,
To frame the sacred vow.

2 The sins in hours of weakness wrought,
The vain things loved before,

The wanton deed and word and thought,
Lord, we renounce once more.

3 Once more we vow the holy faith
To keep unstained and true;
Once more we promise unto death
Thy holy will to do.

4 Again we gird us to the fight,
Again we face the foe,

Resolved, beneath Thy banner bright,
Where Thou shalt lead, to go.

5 O Father, pardon all the past;
Give back Thy wasted grace;
And strengthen us, while life shall last,
To run the heavenward race.

6 Still let Thy blessèd Spirit's aid
Our strength and comfort be;

Then, though we sometime be afraid,
We still will trust in Thee. Amen.

C.M.

943 Our gospel came to you...in power.—Thess.i.5.

I

0

GIFT of gifts! O grace of faith!
My God, how can it be,

That Thou, who hast discerning love,
Shouldst give that gift to me!

2 Ah grace! into unlikeliest hearts
It is Thy boast to come;
The glory of Thy light to find,
In darkest spots a home.

3 Thy choice, O God of goodness, then,
I lovingly adore ;

O give me grace to keep Thy grace,
And grace to gain it more.

Amen.

DISMISSAL OF MEMBERS.

944

I

C

LM.

Farewell.-2 Cor. xiii. II.

[H. K. WHITE.]

OME, Christian brethren, ere we part,
Join every voice and every heart,
One solemn hymn to God we raise,
The closing song of grateful praise.

2 Christians we here may meet no more,
But there is yet a happier shore;
And there, released from toil and pain,
Dear brethren, we shall meet again.

3 And now to God, the Three in One,
Be everlasting glory done;

Raise, raise, ye saints, the sound again,
Ye nations join the loud Amen.

C.M.

C. WESLEY.*

945 Brethren, farewell.—2 Cor. xiii. II.

I

LEST be the dear uniting love,

That will not let us part;
Our bodies may far off remove,

We still are one in heart.

2 Joined in one Spirit to our Head,
Where He appoints we go;
And still in Jesus' footsteps tread,
And show His praise below.
3 O may we ever walk in Him,
And nothing know beside;
Nothing desire, nothing esteem,
But Jesus crucified.

4 Partakers of His heavenly grace,
The same in mind and heart;
Nor joy, nor grief, nor time, nor place,
Nor life, nor death can part.

5 Thus let us hasten to the day

Which shall our flesh restore;

When death shall all be done away,
And we shall part no more.

CHOICE OF OFFICERS.

[COLLYER.]

C.M.

946 Look ye out...men of honest report.

Acts vi. 3.

JESUS, in this solemn hour,
Be with Thy people here;
Let Thine authority and power
To rule Thy church appear.