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St. Matthew the Apostle.

O Lord, Almighty to command, who shall resist Thy will, or turn aside Thy guiding hand, outstretched in mercy still? Enchained by covetous desire a human heart may be, Thou callest! ‘Tis a word of fire: rise, Levi, “follow me.” So Matthew at Thy word arose, obedient to Thy call; with love that from obedience flows, he left his earthly all, yet left but dross to follow Thee and gained a prize divine, Thy blest Evangelist to be, Apostle, too, of Thine. O give us grace so to forsake each covetous desire; all mammonworship from us take, and with Thy love inspire, that we may learn to follow Thee, and joyful choose our part, devoted to Thy service be with an unselfish heart. Thy love from heaven brought Thee down, our human flesh to wear, to lay aside Thy kingly crown, our poverty to bear. All glory to Thy Holy Name, our Master, King, and Lord, with Father, Spirit, aye the same, great Trinity adored!

1 O Lord, Almighty to command,
who shall resist Thy will,
or turn aside Thy guiding hand,
outstretched in mercy still?
Enchained by covetous desire
a human heart may be,
Thou callest! ‘Tis a word of fire:
rise, Levi, “follow me.”
2 So Matthew at Thy word arose,
obedient to Thy call;
with love that from obedience flows,
he left his earthly all,
yet left but dross to follow Thee
and gained a prize divine,
Thy blest Evangelist to be,
Apostle, too, of Thine.
3 O give us grace so to forsake
each covetous desire;
all mammonworship from us take,
and with Thy love inspire,
that we may learn to follow Thee,
and joyful choose our part,
devoted to Thy service be
with an unselfish heart.
4 Thy love from heaven brought Thee down,
our human flesh to wear,
to lay aside Thy kingly crown,
our poverty to bear.
All glory to Thy Holy Name,
our Master, King, and Lord,
with Father, Spirit, aye the same,
great Trinity adored!

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Text attr. Eliza Humphreys
Tune St. Matthew
from Supplement to the New Version of Psalms by Dr. Brady and Mr. Tate, 1708

St. Matthew the Apostle.

O Almighty God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist; grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires, and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.