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And the good spirit from our God Descends like purifying rain. 5 Thus we engage ourselves to thee, And seat our cov'nant with the Lord ; O may the great eternal Three, In heaven our solemn vows record! 502. L. M. Mr. Joseph Stennett. Jesus Baptized. 1Tcame the lost to seek and save; THE great Redeemer we adore, Went humbly down from Jordan's shore, To find a tomb beneath the wave. 2" Thus it becomes us to fulfil,

"All righteousness;" he meekly said: Why should we then to do his will, Or be asham'd, or be afraid?

3 With thee into thy wat'ry tomb, Lord, 'tis our glory to descend; 'Tis wondrous grace that gives us room, To lie interr'd by such a Friend! 4 But a much more tempestuous flood, O'erwhelm'd thy body and thy soul: That plung'd in tears, and sweat, and blood, And over this black terrors roll.

5 Yet as the yielding waves give way, To let us see the light again;

So on thy resurrection day,

The bands of death prov'd weak and vain.

6 Thus when thou shalt again appear,

The gates of death shall open wide;
Our dust thy pow'rful voice shall hear,
Shall rise and triumph at thy side.
7 These now vile bodies then shall wear,
A glorious form resembling thine;
To be dissolv'd no more shall fear,
But with immortal beauty shine.

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503. C. M. Mr. S. Deacon.
The Commission. Mark xvi. 15, 16.
HAT voice is this; what lovely voice,
Which echoes in my ear?

W"

That bids my heart and soul rejoice,
And banishes my fear.

'Tis Jesus speaks; and O, his words

In charming accents fly!

Life and salvation he affords,

Ye nations, leap for joy!

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3 Go into all the world and preach
"The gospel's joyful sound;
"My mercy and compassion reach
"To sinners all around.

4" [Go, let them all be well appriz'd,
This on their hearts engrav'd,

"He that believes, and is baptiz'd,
"Shall be for ever sav'd.

5" But stubborn sinners, who refuse
"The privilege proclaim'd;
"Who mercy, such as this, abuse,
"Shall be for ever damn'd."],

6 And will the Lord of Life receive
"Such guilty worns as we?
Jesus, we in thy name believe,
And humbly come to thee!

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504. L. M. Mr. Fellowes. Obedience to Christ's Commission. O teach the nations, and baptize,"

"Goud the ascending Jesus cries,

His glad apostles took the word,

And round the nations preach'd their Lord.
2 Commission'd thus, by Zion's king,
We to his holy laver bring

These happy converts, who have known
And trusted in his grace alone.

3 Lord, in thy house they seek thy face,
O bless them with peculiar grace:
Inspire their souls with love divine;
Till beams of glory round them shire.
505. L. M. Mr. Fellowes.

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Public Confession of Christ.

GREAT God we in thy courts appear,

With humble joy, and holy fear,

Thy wise injunctions to obey!

While saints and angels hail the day!
2 In thy assembly here we stand,
Obedient to thy great command;
The sacred flood is full in view,
And thy sweet voice invites us through.
3 The word, the spirit, and the bride,
Must not invite, and be deny'd;
Was not the Lord who came to save,
Interr'd in such a liquid grave?

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4 Thus we, dear Saviour, own thy name,
Receive 13, rising from the stream
Then to thy table let us come,
And dwell in Zion as our home.

506. L. M. Mr. S. Deacon.
The Design of Believer's Baptism.
ID Jesus, ere he chose to rise,

D'Send forth his servants to baptize?
Then, gracious God, help us to find
The wise intention of his mind!
2 This shows that he's authority,
To govern, institute, decree;
And chose this inoffensive way
To prove who would his voice obey.
3 By this we see our filthiness,
Our need of purifying grace,
And testify a death to sin,
A rising to a life divine.
4 'Tis not the flesh to purify,
But test of our sincerity;

An answer of a conscience good,
Dispos'd to do the will of God.
5 By this we publicly confess
The Lord is ours, and we are his;
Confirm before our fellow men,
That Christ is Head, and he shall reign.
6 Buried with the Redeemer, we
Show forth his death, his agony;
Whereby the flesh is crucify'd,
The body of our sin destroy'd.
7 Such are the ends he had in view,
The scriptures evidently show;

Now where's the christian, where's the man,
Dare call the institution vain?

507. L. M. Dr. Watts.

Believers buried with Christ in Baptism. Rom. vi. 3, &c.

1 D°

O we not know that solemn word,
That we are bury'd with the Lord,

Baptiz'd into his death, and then
Put off the body of our sin?

2 Our souls receive diviner breath,

Rais'd from corruption, guilt and death;
So from the grave did Christ arise,

And lives to God above the skies.

3 No more let sin or Satan reign
Over our mortal flesh again:
The various lusts we served before,
Shall have dominion now no more.
508. Mr. Fellowes.

Buried with Christ in Baptism. Rom. vi. 4
ESUS, mighty King in Sion!

I JESUS, our guide shalt be;

Thy commission we rely on,

We would follow none but thee.
2 As an emblem of thy passion,
And thy vict'ry o'er the grave
We who know thy great salvation
Are baptiz'd beneath the wave.
3 Fearless of the world's despising,
We the ancient path pursue:
Bury'd with our Lord, and rising
To a life divinely new.

509. C. M. Mr. S. Deacon.
Primitive Practice.

1 BEWEYERS in the days of old,
When by the Spirit led;

Went through the water to the fold,
In honour of their head.
2 Have we obtain'd another law,
That now we turn aside?
Or do the nations wiser grow
And take another guide?

3 Lord, we desire to follow thee,
According to thy will;

Help us the proper way to see,
And strictly to fulfil.

4 Let others to the Fathers look,
And search their writings o'er,
The Holy Bible is thy book,
And we desire no more.

5 By this the simple soul may find
The way to heav'nly rest;
By this the conscientious mind
Shall be divinely blest.

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510. Sevens. Mr. S. Deacon.
The Eunuch. Acts. viii. 20-40
EE the pious Eunuch ride,
With the Bible for his guide;

What he could not understand,
Philip soon to him explain'd.
2 Now the Eunuch, with surprise,
Jesus, as the Saviour, spies
Of his privilege appriz'd,
Straight desires to be baptiz'd.
3 Philip answers his request,
"If thou dost believe, thou may'st."
He professes faith in Christ;-
Philip hears, and can't resist.
4 Down they both together go,
(See the waters, how they flow!)
Philip, in the Saviour's name,
Plunges him beneath the stream.
5 Up they come, and quickly part-
See the Eunuch glad at heart,
Go rejoicing on his way-

As we hope to do to-day.
6 Lord, thy book is still the same;
There we see a Saviour's name;
We in him believe, and lo!
Down into the water go.

511. C. M. Mr. S. Deacon.

Reflection on the Eunuch's Baptism. Acts viii.

1

WE

ELL, now my ignorance I see,
And see it to my shame;

It is a privilege to be

Baptiz'd in Jesu's name.

2 O! how I've seen it as a cross,
Too great to be endur❜d;
To be baptiz'd, as Jesus was,
And buried with my Lord.

3 This is the way, which God above
Commanded John to teach;
This is the way the Lord of love
Bade his apostles preach.

4 This is the way the saints of old
Their faith and love profess'd;
O how presumptuous, vain, and bold,
Are those who dare resist!

5 This is the way, I'll walk therein,
However it's despis'd;

See here is water, let me then
Go down, and be baptiz'd.

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