The Cyber Hymnal ‎#6910

6910. The True Shepherd

1. 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.

2. 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]

3. 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]

4. 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]

5. 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]

6. 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]

Text Information

• First Line: I was wandering and weary
• Title: The True Shepherd
• Author: Frederick William Faber (1849)
• Refrain First Line: O wand'ring souls, come near Me
• Language: English
• Source: Jesus and Mary (London: 1849)
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Notes: Alternate tune: Music of unknown origin, in The Hymnary of the United Church of Canada (Toronto, Canada: The United Church Publishing House, 1931), number 484

Tune Information

• Name: [I was wandering and weary]
• Composer: William J. Kirkpatrick (1888)
• Incipit: 55511 21755 52232
• Key: A♭ Major
• Source: Re­demp­tion Songs, by John R. Swe­ney, Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick and John J. Lowe (Phil­a­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: John J. Hood, 1889)
• Copyright: Public Domain