Puslapio vaizdai
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ON THE APPOINTMENT OF A MINISTER.

JAMES MONTGOMERY.

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,

Fill'd with the Spirit, fired with love; Live to behold our large increase,

And die to meet us all above!

(Original.)

THE REFUGE.

HAST thou thy God forsaken
Who led thee by the way?
Have broken earthly cisterns
Allured thy steps astray?

Hast thou thy gold been spending

For that which is not bread,
And are thine eyes now open'd,—

Have all thy comforts fled?

Yet there is balm in Gilead,
Still a Physician there-

He waiteth near to heal thee,
Who hears and answers prayer.
Thou like the dove hast wander'd,

Hast found all drear and dark;
Be like the dove returning,

With Jesus for thine ark.

Accept His invitation :

He says

"Return to me

The living bread from Heaven
My Father gives to thee."
Freely the gift is offer'd-

Oh! turn no more away,
Nor longer plead thy weakness:
His strength shall be thy stay.

Within that Ark once shelter'd,
The world shall lure in vain ;
Heaven's windows may be open'd,
But fear thou not its rain;

Floods that o'erwhelm the sinner
Shall lift thy thoughts on high,
And rising waters bear thee
Still nearer to the sky.

THE PASSION-FLOWER.

BERNARD BARTON.

WE roam the seas—give new-found isles
Some king's or conqueror's name;
We rear on earth triumphant piles
As meeds of earthly fame;

We soar to heaven; and to outlive
Our life's contracted span,
Unto the glorious stars we give
The names of mortal man.

Then may not one poor floweret's bloom

The holier memory share

Of Him who, to avert our doom,
Vouchsafed our sins to bear?

And may not e'en a simple flower
Proclaim His glorious praise,
Whose fiat only had the power

Its form from earth to raise ?

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