I Was A Wandering Sheep

Representative Text

1 I was a wand'ring sheep,
I did not love the fold;
I did not love my Shepherd's voice,
I would not be controlled.
I was a wayward child,
I did not love my home;
I did not love my Father's voice,
I loved afar to roam.

2 The Shepherd sought his sheep,
the Father sought his child;
they followed me o'er vale and hill,
o'er deserts waste and wild:
they found me nigh to death,
famished and faint and lone;
they bound me with the bands of love,
they saved the wand'ring one.

3 Jesus my Shepherd is;
'twas he that loved my soul,
'twas he that washed me in his blood,
'twas he that made me whole;
'twas he that sought the lost,
that found the wand'ring sheep,
'twas he that brought me to the fold,
'tis he that still doth keep.

4 I was a wand'ring sheep,
I would not be controlled;
but now I love my Shepherd's voice,
I love, I love the fold.
I was a wayward child,
I once preferred to roam;
but now I love my Father's voice,
I love, I love his home.


Source: Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #464

Author: Horatius Bonar

Horatius Bonar was born at Edinburgh, in 1808. His education was obtained at the High School, and the University of his native city. He was ordained to the ministry, in 1837, and since then has been pastor at Kelso. In 1843, he joined the Free Church of Scotland. His reputation as a religious writer was first gained on the publication of the "Kelso Tracts," of which he was the author. He has also written many other prose works, some of which have had a very large circulation. Nor is he less favorably known as a religious poet and hymn-writer. The three series of "Hymns of Faith and Hope," have passed through several editions. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872… Go to person page >

Notes

I was a wandering sheep. H. Bonar. [The Lost Sheep.] Published in the first series of his Songs in the Wilderness, 1843, No. 1, in 5 stanzas of 8 lines, and headed, "Lost but Found, ‘Ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls, 1 Pet. ii. 25.'" It was repeated in his Bible Hymn Book, 1845, No. 264, and in his Hymns of Faith and Hope, 1857. It ranks with the most popular of Dr. Bonar's hymns, and is in common use (usually in an unaltered form), in all English-speaking countries.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Media

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Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 495)
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A Book of Hymns and Tunes #68

A Chord #d49

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A Collection of Hymns #345

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A Collection of Revival Hymns and Plantation Melodies #83

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A Handy Book of Old and Familiar Hymns #113

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A Manual of Devotion and Hymns for the House of Refuge, City of New York #200

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A Manual of Worship #96

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Alleluia #166

American Sunday School Hymn Book. 2nd ed. #a214

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American Sunday School Hymn Book. New ed. #aa214

Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver #d110

Asaph #d126

Association Hymn Book #d83

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Association Hymn Book #54

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Augsburg Songs No. 2 #107

Augsburg Songs, Nos. l and 2 Combined #d141

Book of Common Praise #d237

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Book of Praise for the Sunday School #161[266]

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Book of Worship (Rev. ed.) #99

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Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes #128

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Book of Worship #94

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Book of Worship #99

Cân a Mawl #137b

Carmina for Social Worship #d116

Chapel and Family Hymn Book #d66

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Chapel Treasures (Christ Chapel Sabbath-School, Lebanon, PA) #123

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Chautauqua Hymnal and Liturgy #32

Children's Praise #d65

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Children's Praise #49

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Christ in Song #429

Christian Hymnal #d210

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Christian Hymns No. 1 #210

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Christian Praise #284

Christian Songs #d53

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Christian Songs #269

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Church Book #107

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Church Book #107

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Church Hymnal #274

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Church Hymnal, Mennonite #529

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #529

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #d232

Church Hymnal, Third Edition #695

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Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #146

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Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #146

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Church Hymns and Tunes #280a

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Church Hymns and Tunes #280b

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Church music #308

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Church Psalmist #776

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Church Psalmist #776

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Common Praise #353

Companion of Praise for the Sunday School, Family and Prayer Meeting #d99

Crusader Hymns and Hymn Stories #d101

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Echoes from Zion #46

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Elmhurst Hymnal #143

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book with Tunes #d167

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #105

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #227

Everybody's Hymn Book for Church and Home #d129

Faith and Hope Hymns #d37

Faith Hymns #d58

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Faith Hymns (New ed.) #8

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Familiar Hymns for Social Meetings #154

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Fellowship Hymns #104

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Francis Murphy's Gospel Temperance Hymnal #147

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Free Methodist Hymnal #277

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Garnered Gems #16

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Genuine Gems of Sacred Song #40

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Gipsy Smith's Mission Hymnal #CH146

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Glad Tidings #21

Glad Tidings #d39

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Gloria Deo #269

Gloria in Excelsis #d305

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Gloria #135

Glorious Gospel Hymns #115

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Good as Gold #151b

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Good-Will Songs #12

Gospel Bells #72

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Gospel Bells #72

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Gospel Hymn and Tune Book #275

Gospel Hymns #d234

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Gospel Song-Gems No.1 #216

Great Hymns of the Church, Selected from the Methodist Hymnal #d51

Hallowed Songs #d165

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Hallowed Songs #128

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Hallowed Songs #31

Happy Voices #d88

Heavenly Echoes #d57

Helping Hands #d34

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Helps for Worship #30

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Hymn and Tune Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Round Note Ed.) #854

Hymn Book for the Army and Navy #d27

Hymn Book of the Colored M.E. Church in America #d240

Hymn Book of the Holiness Movement Church #d213

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South #854

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church #285

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (11th ed.) #285

Pages

Exclude 489 pre-1979 instances
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