Scripture Verse

Of such is the kingdom of God. Mark 10:14

Introduction

Words & Mu­sic: Knowles Shaw, Shin­ing Pearls (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: John Church, 1868) (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Knowles Shaw (1834–1878)

A strik­ing in­stance of [Shaw’s] sym­pa­thy and pow­er to adapt him­self to cir­cum­stanc­es took place in Hum­boldt, Kan­sas.

A weal­thy and pro­mi­nent Pres­by­te­ri­an fa­mi­ly had lost an in­fant. Bro­ther Shaw went, un­in­vit­ed, to the fun­er­al.

The Pres­by­te­ri­an min­is­ter preached a fu­ne­ral ser­mon from a text in the Old Tes­ta­ment, and, af­ter the dis­course, the lit­tle white cof­fin, co­vered with flow­ers, rest­ing on a mar­ble topped ta­ble in the par­lor, was op­ened, that the friends and heart-strick­en par­ents might take the last look at the lit­tle un­con­scious sleep­er.

The scene was pain­ful, the part­ing se­vere, when, amid the sobs and weep­ing, there fell up­on their ears, in one of the ten­der­est, sweet­est voic­es they had ev­er heard, the fol­low­ing words: Ma­ny children, dear to us while here…

The hearts of all were hushed, and the thoughts of the strick­en ones were lift­ed from the life­less clay to the dear lost one, in the arms of the Good Shep­herd.

Shaw, en­ter­ing into the spi­rit of the oc­ca­sion, had sung one of his own sweet hymns, un­der cir­cum­stanc­es that gave it great ef­fect.

It was just what the bro­ken hearts be­fore him need­ed. He was warm­ly thanked by the friends.

The mo­ther af­ter­ward sent her grate­ful ac­know­ledg­ments, and a re­quest for a co­py of the vers­es he had sung. And she reck­ons among her prized trea­sures the Lambs of the Up­per Fold.

Life of Knowles Shaw, the Sing­ing Ev­an­gel­ist, by Wil­liam Bax­ter (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio & Os­ka­loo­sa, Io­wa: Cen­tral Book Con­cern, 1879), Chap­ter V.

Lyrics

Many child­ren dear to us while here
Have gone, but we are told
That our ab­sent ones in Heav’n ap­pear,
Among the saints en­rolled,
As the lambs of the up­per fold.

Refrain

For Je­sus leads the ten­der lambs,
They are now in the land
Where they ne’er grow old;
How dear to us are the lov­ing lambs,
The lambs of the up­per fold.

I see the throne, I hear the song,
’Mid the an­gels on the other shore;
In the pas­tures green they are ev­er seen,
On Ca­naan’s peace­ful shore,
In the land where they weep no more.

Refrain

Now let us live—to Je­sus give
Our strength while young and old;
So when we are gone we may rest at home,
And walk the streets of gold,
With the lambs of the up­per fold.

Refrain

Then let us go to the land above,
And be with the saints en­rolled,
To bear the palm, and wear the crown,
And share that bliss un­told,
With the lambs of the up­per fold.

Refrain