Scripture Verse

The ministers of Christ. 1 Corinthians 4:1

Introduction

portrait
John Pierpont
1785–1866

Words: John Pier­pont, in A Col­lect­ion of Psalms and Hymns for So­cial and Pri­vate Wor­ship (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: John B. Rus­sell, 1823), num­ber 320. Writ­ten for the or­di­na­tion of Will­iam Ware as pas­tor of the First Con­gre­ga­tion­al Church in New York, De­cem­ber 18, 1821.

Music: Mig­dol Lo­well Ma­son, 1840 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Lowell Mason (1792–1872)

Lyrics

O Thou, who art above all height!
Our God, our Fa­ther, and our friend!
Beneath Thy throne of love and light,
Let Thine adoring children bend.

We kneel in praise, that here is set
A vine that by Thy culture grew;
W kneel in prayer, that Thou wouldst wet
Its opening leaves with heavenly dew.

Since Thy young servant now hath given
Himself, his powers, his hopes, his youth,
To the great cause of truth and Hea­ven,
Be Thou his guide, O God of truth!

Here may his doctrine drop like rain,
His speech like Hermon’s dews distill,
Till green fields smile, and golden grain,
Ripe for the harvest, waits Thy will.

And when he sinks in death—by care,
Or pain, or toil, or years oppressed—
O God! remember then our prayer,
And take his spirit to Thy rest.