THE OFFICES OF THE MINISTRY.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
THE LORD IS IN OUR MIDST.
NOT here, as to the prophet's eye,
The LORD upon His throne appears;
Nor Seraph tongues responsive cry,
Holy! thrice holy! in our ears.
Yet GOD is present in this place,
Veiled in serener majesty;
So full of glory, truth, and grace,
That faith alone such light can see.
Nor as He in the temple taught,
Is Christ within these walls revealed,
When blind, and deaf, and dumb were brought,
Lepers and lame,-and all were healed.
Yet here, when two or three shall meet,
Or thronging multitudes are found,
All may sit down at Jesus' feet,
And hear from Him the joyful sound.
IN TIME OF PESTILENCE.
LET the land mourn through all its coasts,
The king lay by his state,
Princes and rulers at their posts
Awhile sit desolate.
Let the whole people, high and low,
Rich, poor, and great, and small,
Invoke in fellowship of woe,
The Maker of them all.
For GOD hath summoned from his place
Death in a direr form,
To waken, warn, and scourge our race,
Than earthquake, fire, or storm.
Let churches weep within their pale,
And families apart;
Let each in secresy bewail
The plague of his own heart.
So, while the land bemoans its sin,
The pestilence may cease;
And mercy, tempering wrath, bring in
GOD'S saving health and peace.
UNIVERSAL ADORATION.
FALL down, ye nations, and adore
JEHOVAH on His mercy-seat;
Like prostrate seas on every shore,
That cast their billows at your feet.
Let hallelujahs to the skies,
With ocean's everlasting sound,
The voice of many waters, rise,
Day without night, as time goes round.
Come from the East with gifts, ye kings,
With gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Where'er the morning spreads her wings,
Let man to GOD his vows prefer.
Come from the West, the bond, the free;
His easy service make your choice.
Ye isles of the Pacific Sea,
Like halcyon-nests, in GOD rejoice.
Come from the South; through desert sands
A highway for the LORD prepare;
Let Ethiopia stretch her hands,
And Libya pour her soul in prayer.
Come from the North; let Europe raise
In all her languages one song;
Give GOD the glory, power, and praise,
That to His holy name belong.
For He hath bowed the heavens above,
And at His feet the mountains flowed;
He came, but not in wrath,-in love,
To make with men His pure abode.
With smiles, O earth! thy Maker meet;
Nations, before your Saviour fall;
Redemption is in Him complete;
The Gospel now is preached to all.
SABBATH WORSHIP.
THOUSANDS, O LORD of Hosts! this day
Around Thine altar meet;
And tens of thousands throng to pay
Their homage at Thy feet.
They see Thy power and glory there,
As I have seen them too;
They read, they hear, they join in prayer,
As I was wont to do.
They sing Thy deeds, as I have sung,
In sweet and solemn lays;
Were I among them, my glad tongue
Might learn new themes of praise.
For Thou art in their midst to teach,
When on Thy name they call;
And Thou hast blessings, LORD, for each,
Hast blessings, LORD, for all.
I, of such fellowship bereft,
In spirit turn to Thee;
Oh! hast Thou not a blessing left,
A blessing, LORD, for me?
The dew lies thick upon the ground,
Shall my poor fleece be dry?
The manna rains from heaven around,
Shall I of hunger die?
Behold Thy prisoner;-loose my bands,
If 't is Thy gracious will;
If not, contented in Thy hands,
Behold Thy prisoner still!
I may not to Thy courts repair,
Yet here Thou surely art;
LORD, consecrate a house of prayer
In my surrendered heart.
To faith reveal the things unseen;
To hope the joys untold:
Let love, without a veil between,
Thy glory now behold.
Oh, make Thy face on me to shine,
That doubt and fear may cease;
Lift up Thy countenance benign
On me, and give me peace.
DAUGHTER of Zion, from the dust
Exalt thy fallen head;
Again in thy Redeemer trust,
He calls thee from the dead.
Awake, awake, put on thy strength,
Thy beautiful array:
The day of freedom dawns at length,
The LORD'S appointed day.
Rebuild thy walls, thy bounds enlarge,
And send thy heralds forth;
Say to the South, "Give up thy charge,
And keep not back, O North!"
They come, they come!-thine exiled bands,
Where'er they rest or roam,
Have heard thy voice in distant lands,
And hasten to their home.
Thus, though the universe shall burn,
And GOD His works destroy,
With songs the ransomed shall return,
And everlasting joy.
THE HOLY SPIRIT INVOKED.
SPIRIT of power and might, behold
A world by sin destroyed!
Creator Spirit! as of old,
Move on the formless void.
Give Thou the word; that healing sound
Shall quell the deadly strife,
And earth again, like Eden crowned,
Produce the tree of life.
If sang the morning stars with joy,
When Nature rose to view,
What strains will angel harps employ
When Thou shalt all renew!
And if the sons of GOD rejoice
To hear a Saviour's name,
How will the ransomed raise their voice,
To whom that Saviour came!
Lo! every kindred, tongue, and tribe,
Assembled round the throne,
Thy new creation shall ascribe
To sovereign love alone.
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