7 For this, my life, in every state,

A life of praise shall be;

And death, when death shall be my fate,
Shall join my soul to thee.

ORDINATION OR INSTITUTION OF
MINISTERS.

270 "Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness.”

LORD, pour thy Spirit from on high,

And thine ordainèd servants bless;

Graces and gifts to each supply,

[L. M.

And clothe thy priests with righteousness.

2 Within thy temple when they stand,
To teach the truth as taught by thee,
Saviour, like stars in thy right hand
Let all thy Church's pastors be.

3 Wisdom, and zeal, and love impart,
Firmness and meekness from above,

To bear thy people in their heart,
And love the souls whom thou dost love;

4 To love, and pray, and never faint,

By day and night their guard to keep,
To warn the sinner, form the saint,

To feed thy lambs, and tend thy sheep.

5 So, when their work is finish'd here,

They may in hope their charge resign;
So, when their Master shall appear,
They may with crowns of glory shine.

271

"Unto every one of us is given grace; according [L. M. to the measure of the gift of Christ."

ATHER of mercies, bow thine ear,

FAT

Attentive to our earnest prayer:

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

2 How great their work, how vast their charge!
Do thou their anxious souls enlarge:
Their best acquirements are our gain;
We share the blessings they obtain.

3 Clothe, then, with energy divine

Their words, and let those words be thine;
To them thy sacred truth reveal,
Suppress their fear, inflame their zeal.

4 Teach them to sow the precious seed,
Teach them thy chosen flock to feed;
Teach them immortal souls to gain-
Souls that will well reward their pain.

5 Let thronging multitudes around.
Hear from their lips the joyful sound;
In humble strains thy grace implore,
And feel thy new-creating power.

6 Let sinners break their massy chains,
Distressed souls forget their pains;

Let light through distant realms be spread,
And Sion rear her drooping head.

272

"And a river went out of Eden to water the
garden; and from thence it was parted,
and became into four heads."

COME pure hearts, in

[8s. 7s.

sweetest measures

Six Lines.

Sing of those who spread the treasures
In the holy Gospels shrined;
Blessed tidings of salvation,

Peace on earth their proclamation,
Love from God to lost mankind.

2 See the Rivers four that gladden
With their streams the better Eden
Planted by our Lord most dear;
Christ the fountain, these the waters;
Drink, O Sion's sons and daughters,
Drink and find salvation here.

3 O that we, thy truth confessing,
And thy holy word possessing,
Jesu, may thy love adore;
Unto thee our voices raising,
Thee with all thy ransomed praising,

Ever and for evermore.

273 "To proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ." [L. M.

O

Go forth, ye heralds, in my name,

Sweetly the Gospel trumpet sound;

The glorious jubilee proclaim,

Where'er the human race is found.

2 The joyful news to all impart,

And teach them where salvation lies;
With care bind up the broken heart,
And wipe the tears from weeping eyes.

3 Be wise as serpents, where you go,
But harmless as the peaceful dove;
And let your heaven-taught conduct show
That ye're commission'd from above.

4 Freely from me ye have received,
Freely, in love, to others give;

Thus shall your doctrines be believed,
And, by your labours, sinners live.

CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS.

274 "How beautiful upon the mountains are the [D. C. M. feet of him that bringeth good tidings.”

Hou

OW beautiful the feet that bring
The gladsome tidings here!

What gracious messengers e'en now

To our blest eyes appear!

These are the stars which God appoints
For guides into our way,
To lead to the true Bethlehem,
Where Christ is found alway.

2 These are our God's ambassadors,
By whom his mind we know;
God's angels in his nether heaven;
His heralds here below!

Sprinkled by them, the souls arise
That did in Adam die,

And, fed by them with bread from heaven,
Were train'd for rest on high.

3 Thy servants speak; thou only dost
The hearing ear bestow:

They smite the rock, but thou alone
Dost bid the waters flow.

They seek, but only thou hast skill
To bring the wanderers home:
They call, but thy love must compel,
And then the invited come.

4 Lord, thou art in them of a truth,
Lest we should go astray:

The twelve bright banners march before,
And show us Canaan's way.

Bless we thy name who grants us here

To sing in Sion's ways,

And then, on heavenly Sion's hill,

To sing eternal praise.

275

LAYING OF A CORNER STONE.

"May thine eyes be opened toward this house [L. M. night and day."

HIS stone to thee in faith we lay;

THIS

We build the temple, Lord, to thee;

Thine eye be open night and day
To guard this house and sanctuary.