Scripture Verse

I am the good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. John 10:14

Introduction

portrait
Frederick W. Faber (1814–1863)

Words: Fred­er­ick W. Fa­ber, Je­sus and Ma­ry (Lon­don: 1849).

Music: The True Shep­herd Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick, 1888. Ap­peared in Re­demp­tion Songs, by John R. Swe­ney, Will­iam Kirk­pat­rick & John J. Lowe (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: John J. Hood, 1889) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

  • Music of un­known ori­gin, in The Hym­na­ry of the Unit­ed Church of Ca­na­da (To­ron­to, Ca­na­da: Unit­ed Church Pub­lish­ing House, 1931), num­ber 484 (🔊 pdf nwc)
portrait
William J. Kirkpatrick (1838–1921)

Lyrics

I was wandering and weary
When my Sav­ior came unto me;
For the ways of sin grew dreary,
And the world has ceased to woo me;
And I thought I heard Him say,
As He came along His way,

Refrain

O wand’ring souls, come near Me,
My sheep would ne­ver fear Me,
My sheep would ne­ver fear Me:
I am the Shepherd true.

At first I would not hearken,
And put off till the morrow;
But life began to darken,
And I was sick with sorrow;
Still I thought I heard Him say,
As He came along His way,

Refrain

At last I stopped to listen,
His voice could not deceive me;
I saw His kind eyes glisten,
So anxious to relieve me,
I was sure I heard Him say,
As He came along His way,

Refrain

He took me on His shoulder,
And tenderly He kissed me;
He bade my love be bolder,
And said how He had missed me;
Then I heard Him sweetly say,
As He went along His way,

Refrain

I thought His love would weaken,
As more and more He knew me;
But it burneth like a beacon,
And its light and heat go thro’ me.
And I ever hear Him say,
As He goes along His way,

Refrain

Let us do, then, dearest brothers,
What will best and longest please us.
Follow not the ways of others,
But trust ourselves to Je­sus.
We shall ever hear Him say,
As He goes along His way,

Refrain