Verse 1
A bishop primitively good
Deals to his flock their needful food, (John 21:15-17, Acts 20:28)
And feasts them with the word sincere: (I Pet. 5:2, I Pet. 2:2, Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4)
Loos’d from the world, he bids them sit
As listning at their Saviour’s feet (Luke 10:39)
The great, eternal Truth to hear:
He first partakes the heavenly bread, (John 6:51)
And lifts his soul with manna fed (John 6:31-33, Ex. 16:4, Ex. 16:15)
In humble praises to the skies:
By prayer he brings the blessing down
The evangelic feast to crown,
The bread of life which never dies. (John 6:35, John 6:48)
Verse 2
He breaks to all the mystic bread, (Matt. 26:26, Mark 14:22, Luke 24:30, I Cor. 10:16, I Cor. 11:24)
The word to each, as each hath need, (Acts 2:45)
By ministerial hands conveys:
Pastors subordinate he sends, (Eph. 4:11)
The people to their care commends
To stewards wise of gospel-grace. (I Cor. 4:1, I Pet. 4:10)
The truth from Christ deliver’d down, (Jude 1:3, II Tim. 2:2, John 17:8)
And made thro’ his apostles known (Eph. 3:5)
Their genuine successors receive,
And if our Lord his love imparts,
We feed on Jesus in our hearts, (John 6:53-58)
And fill’d with God forever live. (Eph. 3:17-19)