Ministry, Preparation of

Verse 1

Pour out thy Spirit from on high;
Lord! thine assembled servants bless;
Graces and gifts to each supply.
And clothe thy priests with righteousness.

Verse 2

Wisdom, and zeal, and faith impart,
Firmness with meekness from above,
To bear thy people on our heart,
And love the souls whom thou dost love;

Verse 3

To watch and pray, and never faint;
By day and night, strict guard to keep;
To warn the sinner, cheer the saint,
Nourish thy lambs, and feed thy sheep.

Verse 4

Then, when our work is finished here,
In humble hope, our charge resign;
When the chief Shepherd shall appear,
O God! may they and we be thine.

Verse 1

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

Verse 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.

Verse 3

‘Mid the homes of want and woe,
Strangers to the living word,
Let the Saviour’s herald go,
Let the voice of hope be heard.

Verse 4

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

Verse 5

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

Verse 6

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

Verse 7

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

Verse 1

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

Verse 2

Guard the helpless, seek the strayed,
Soothe the troubled, banish grief;
With the Spirit’s sword arrayed,
Scatter sin and unbelief.

Verse 3

Be the banner still unfurled,
Bear it bravely still abroad,
Till the kingdoms of the world
Are the kingdoms of the Lord.

Verse 1

With thine own pity, Savior, see
The thronged and darkening way!
We go to win the lost to thee,
Oh, help us, Lord, we pray!

Verse 2

Thou bid’st us go, with thee to stand
Against hell’s marshalled powers;
And heart to heart, and hand to hand,
To make thine honor ours.

Verse 3

Teach thou our lips of thee to speak,
Of thy sweet love to tell;
Till they who wander far shall seek
And find and serve thee well.

Verse 4

O’er all the world thy Spirit send,
And make thy goodness known,
Till earth and heaven together blend
Their praises at thy throne.