An apostolic minister

Verse 1
An Apostolic minister
His pastoral, unwearied care
By restless labours shows,
Travels, and flies, from place to place,
And precious souls in Jesus’ grace
Confirms, where’er he goes.

Verse 2
To each he severally applies,
In strengthning all his children tries
Each moment to redeem,
Till life’s last hour he labours on,
And grieves, that he hath nothing done
For One who died for him!

Verse 3
Thus may I in my measure strive,
For Jesus and his people live,
Hard-toiling all my days
To see his kingdom here restor’d,
To spread the Evangelic word,
And minister the grace.

Verse 4
Saviour, on me thy mind bestow,
And in thy servant’s steps I go,
Myself the meanest see,
The least of saints, the sinners chief;
And find my comfort and relief,
My hope and heaven in Thee.

Hymnal/Album: Originally titled: “‘He went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthning all the disciples.’—[Acts 18,] v. 23." This hymn appears in the 1764 manuscript “MS Acts.” This manuscript is part of the collection of the Methodist Archive and Research Centre in The John Rylands Library, The University of Manchester (accession number MA 1977/555, Charles Wesley Notebooks Box 1). Accessed through the website of The Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition, Duke Divinity School. Published in S.T. Kimbrough Jr. and Oliver A. Beckerlegge, eds., The Unpublished Poetry of Charles Wesley, vol. 2 (Nashville: Kingswood Books, 1990), page 387. Verses 1 and 2 were published in The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley, Collected and Arranged by G. Osborn, Vol. 12 (London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1871), page 353.
Publishing: Public Domain