1 The earth, O Lord, is one wide field
of all thy chosen seed;
the crop prepared its fruit to yield;
the labourers are few indeed.
2 We therefore come before thee now
with fasting, and with prayer,
beseeching of thy love that thou
wouldst send more labourers there.
3 Not for our land alone we pray,
though that above the rest;
the realms and islands far away,
O let them all be blest.
4 Endue the bishops of thy flock
with wisdom and with grace,
against false doctrine, like a rock,
to set the heart and face.
5 To all thy priests thy truth reveal,
and make thy judgments clear;
make thou thy deacons full of zeal,
and humble, and sincere:
6 and give their flocks a lowly mind
to hear and to obey;
that each and all may mercy find
at thine appearing-day.
Source: CPWI Hymnal #703
John M. Neale's life is a study in contrasts: born into an evangelical home, he had sympathies toward Rome; in perpetual ill health, he was incredibly productive; of scholarly temperament, he devoted much time to improving social conditions in his area; often ignored or despised by his contemporaries, he is lauded today for his contributions to the church and hymnody. Neale's gifts came to expression early–he won the Seatonian prize for religious poetry eleven times while a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, England. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1842, but ill health and his strong support of the Oxford Movement kept him from ordinary parish ministry. So Neale spent the years between 1846 and 1866 as a warden of Sackvi… Go to person page >
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