Scripture Verse

To Him the porter openeth; and the sheep Hear his voice: and He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. John 10:3

Introduction

portrait
William F. Sherwin (1826–1888)

Words: Frank H. Con­verse, in The In­ter­na­tion­al Les­son Hym­nal (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Da­vid C. Cook, 1878), num­ber 164.

Music: Cock­fos­ters Will­iam F. Sher­win (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Con­verse (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Oh, love di­vine and won­drous deep,
How strong that shep­herd’s claim,
Who not alone doth lead His sheep,
But call­eth each by name;
His voice we hear and fol­low all, fol­low all,
His guid­ing steps and gra­cious call, gra­cious call,
Whose voice we hear and fol­low all, fol­low all,
His guid­ing steps and gra­cious call.

I sought His bless­èd cross alone,
Bowed down with sin and shame,
He met me there, in lov­ing tone
He called to me by name;
All wea­ry with my fruit­less quest, fruit­less quest,
I told Him all and thus found rest, thus found rest,
And weary with my fruit­less quest, fruit­less quest,
I told Him all and thus found rest.

I won­dered, Lord, that Thou couldst know
Thus well the one who came,
Till Thou didst whis­per sweet and low,
I al­ways knew thy name;
I give thee now My seal and sign, seal and sign,
That all may know that thou art Mine, thou art Mine;
I give thee now My seal and sign, seal and sign,
That all may know that thou art Mine.

Now gent­ly guid­ing safe along,
His care re­mains the same,
Whose love ap­peareth ten­fold strong,
Who knows His own by name,
And leads them out the sha­dows gray, sha­dows gray,
His ran­somed up to per­fect day, per­fect day,
And leads from out the sha­dows gray, sha­dows gray,
His ran­somed up to per­fect day.

illustration
Christ the Shepherd
Bernhard Plockhorst (1825–1907)
Wikimedia Commons