Chapter C: H. Bogatzky, 1750; C. Winkworth, tr., a., 1855

482

7s

Soldiers of the Cross, arise,
Gird you with your armor bright;
Mighty are your enemies,
Hard the battle ye must fight.

2. O’er a faithless, fallen world
Raise your banner in the sky;
Let it float there wide unfurled;
Bear it onward, lift it high.

3. Mid the homes of want and woe,
Strangers to the living Word,
Let the Savior’s heralds go,
Let the voice of hope be heard.

4. Where the shadows deepest lie,
Carry truth’s unsullied ray;
Where are crimes of blackest dye,
There the saving sign display.

5. To the weary and the worn
Tell of realms where sorrows cease;
To the outcast and forlorn
Speak of mercy and of peace.

6. Guard the helpless; seek the strayed;
Comfort troubles; banish grief;
In the might of God arrayed,
Scatter sin and unbelief.

7. Be the banner still unfurled,
Still unsheathed the Spirit’s Sword,
Till the kingdoms of the world
Are the kingdom of the Lord.

W. W. How, 1854.

483

L. M.

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2. To Him shall endless prayer be made
And endless praises crown His head;
His name, like sweet perfume, shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

3. People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.

4. Blessings abound where’er He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to loose his chains,
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blest.

5. Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more;
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.

6. Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud Amen.

Isaac Watts, 1719.

484

8, 8, 8, 6

Send Thou, O Lord, to every place
Swift messengers before Thy face,
The heralds of Thy wondrous grace,
Where Thou Thyself wilt come.

2. Send men whose eyes have seen the King,
Men in whose ears His sweet words ring;
Send such Thy lost ones home to bring;
Send them where Thou wilt come,—

3. To bring good news to souls in sin,
The bruised and broken hearts to win;
In every place to bring them in
Where Thou Thyself wilt come.

4. Thou who hast died, Thy victory claim;
Assert, O Christ, Thy glory’s name
And far to lands of pagan shame
Send men where Thou wilt come.

5. Gird each one with the Spirit’s Sword,
The sword of Thine own deathless Word,
And make them conquerors, conquering Lord,
Where Thou Thyself wilt come.

6. Raise up, O Lord the Holy Ghost,
From this broad land a mighty host,
Their war-cry, “We will seek the lost
Where Thou, O Christ, wilt come!”

Mrs. M. E. Gates, 1889.

THE MINISTRY.

485

8, 8, 6, 8, 8, 6 (C. P. M.)

Lord of the Church, we humbly pray
For those who guide us in Thy way
And speak Thy holy Word;
With love divine their hearts inspire
And touch their lips with hallowed fire
And needful strength afford.

2. Help them to preach the Truth of God,
Redemption through the Savior’s blood,
Nor let the Spirit cease
On all the Church His gifts to shower,—
To them a messenger of power;
To us, of life and peace.

3. So may they live to Thee alone;
Then hear the welcome word, “Well done!”
And take their crown above;
Enter into their Master’s joy
And all eternity employ
In praise and bliss and love.

E. Osler, 1836.

486

10s

God of the prophets, bless the prophets’ sons;
Elijah’s mantle o’er Elisha cast;
Each age its solemn task may claim but once;
Make each a nobler, stronger than the last!

2. Anoint them prophets! Make their ears attent
To Thy divinest speech; their hearts awake
To human need; their lips make eloquent
T’assure the right and every evil break.

3. Anoint them priests! Strong intercessors they
For pardon and for charity and peace!
Ah, if with them the world might pass, astray,
Into the dear Christ’s life of sacrifice!

4. Anoint them kings; aye, kindly kings, O Lord!
Anoint them with the Spirit of Thy Son!
Theirs not a jeweled crown, a blood-stained sword;
Theirs, by sweet love, for Christ a kingdom won!

5. Make them apostles, heralds of Thy Cross!
Forth may they go to tell all realms Thy grace.
Inspired of Thee, may they count all but loss
And stand at last with joy before Thy face.

6. O mighty age of prophet-kings, return!
O truth, O faith, enrich our urgent time!
Lord Jesus Christ, again with us sojourn;
A weary world awaits Thy reign sublime!

D. Wortman, 1884.

487

S. M. 8 l

Lord, when at Thy command
The Word of Life we sow,
Watered by Thy almighty hand,
The seed shall surely grow;
The virtue of Thy grace
A large increase shall give
And multiply the faithful race
Who to Thy glory live.

2. Now, then, the ceaseless shower
Of Gospel-blessings send
And let the soul-converting power
Thy ministers attend;
On multitudes confer
The heart-renewing love
And by the joy of grace prepare
For fuller joys above.

Charles Wesley.

488

L. M.

Lord, pour Thy Spirit from on high
And Thine ordainèd servants bless;
Graces and gifts to each supply
And clothe Thy priests with righteousness.

2. Within Thy temple when they stand
To teach the truth as taught by Thee,
Savior, like stars in Thy right hand,
Let all Thy Church’s pastors be.

3. Wisdom and zeal and faith impart,
Firmness and meekness from above,
To bear Thy people in their heart
And love the souls whom Thou dost love;

4. To watch and pray and never faint
By day and night strict guard to keep,
To warn the sinner, cheer the saint,
To feed Thy lambs, and fold Thy sheep.

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

James Montgomery, 1833.

489

L. M.

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.

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 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.

4. 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.

James Montgomery.

490

S. M.

How beauteous are their feet
Who stand on Zion’s hill;
Who bring salvation on their tongues
And words of peace reveal!

2. How charming is their voice!
How sweet their tidings are!
“Zion, behold thy Savior-King!
He reigns and triumphs here.”

3. How happy are our ears
That hear this joyful sound
Which kings and prophets waited for
And sought, but never found!

4. How blessed are our eyes
That see this heavenly light!
Prophets and kings desired it long,
But died without the sight.

5. The watchmen join their voice
And tuneful notes employ;
Jerusalem breaks forth in songs,
And deserts learn the joy.

6. The Lord makes bare His arm
Through all the earth abroad.
Let every nation now behold
Their Savior and their God.

Isaac Watts, 1707.

491

S. M.

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

2. On Thee we humbly wait,
Our wants are in Thy view.
The harvest, truly, Lord, is great,
The laborers are few.

3. Convert and send forth more
Into Thy Church abroad
And let them speak Thy Word of Power
As workers with their God.

4. Oh, let them spread Thy name,
Their mission fully prove,
Thy universal grace proclaim,
Thine all-redeeming love!

Charles Wesley, 1742.

492