"God of the Prophets, Bless the Prophet's Sons"
                          by Denis Wortman, 1835-1922
                                  Text From:
                      THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
             (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942) p. 339



	1. God of the prophets, bless the prophet's sons;
	Elijah's mantle o'er Elisha cast.
	Each age its solemn task may claim by once;
	Make each one nobler, stronger, than the last.
	
	2. Annoint them prophets. Make their ears attent
	To Thy divinest speech, their hearts awake
	To human need, their lips make eloquent
	To gird the right and every evil break.
	
	3. Annoint them priests. Strong intercessors, they,
	For pardon and for charity and peace.
	Ah, if with them the world might, now astray,
	Find in our Lord from all its woes release!
	
	4. Annoint them kings; aye, kingly kings, O Lord.
	Annoint them with the Spirit of Thy Son.
	Theirs not a jeweled crown, a blood-stained sword;
	Theirs, by sweet love, for Christ a kingdom won.
	
	5. Make them apostles, heralds of Thy Cross;
	Forth may they go to tell all realms Thy grace.
	Inspired of Thee, may they count all but loss
	And stand at last with joy before Thy face.

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        Text from _The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal_
        Notes from _The Lutheran Hymnal_
        Hymn #483
        Text: 2 Kings 2:9ff.
        Author: Denis Wortman, 1884, ab.
        Tune: "Old 124th"
        1st Published in: _Genevan Psalter_, 1551
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        This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
           by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain. You may
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            comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the
              Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.
                                       
                          E-mail: bob_smith@ctsfw.edu

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