He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.@Isaiah 40:11

Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems, 1749.

Dr. Ben­ja­min Greg­ory says, ‘I was brought up in the firm­est faith that if I died trust­ing in Christ, and striv­ing to love and serve Him, I should most sure­ly go to hea­ven. This faith was much con­firmed by the ac­count oft­en giv­en me of the last hours of my lit­tle sister Ra­chel, who died before I was born. When told that she was dy­ing she be­trayed no tremor; but look­ing up to hea­ven, she said, in her own in­fant speech—

O that I at last may stand
With the sheep at Thy right hand.’

Telford, p. 251

Maidstone, Wal­ter B. Gi­lbert, 1865 (MIDI, NWC, PDF).

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Happy soul, that, free from harms,
Rests within his Shepherd’s arms!
Who his quiet shall molest?
Who shall violate his rest?
Jesus doth his spirit bear;
Jesus takes his every care;
He who found the wandering sheep,
Jesus, still delights to keep.

O that I might so believe,
Steadfastly to Jesus cleave;
On His only love rely,
Smile at the destroyer nigh;
Free from sin and servile fear,
Have my Jesus ever near;
All His care rejoice to prove,
All His paradise of love!

Jesus, seek Thy wandering sheep;
Bring me back, and lead, and keep;
Take on Thee my every care;
Bear me, on Thy bosom bear;
Let me know my Shepherd’s voice;
More and more in Thee rejoice;
More and more of Thee receive;
Ever in Thy spirit live.

Live, till all Thy life I know,
Perfect, through my Lord, below;
Gladly then from earth remove,
Gathered to the fold above;
O that I at last may stand,
With the sheep at Thy right hand;
Take the crown so freely given,
Enter in by Thee to Heaven!