Jesus, Great Shepherd of the Sheep

Jesus

great Shep­herd of the sheep

To Thee for help we fly;

Thy lit­tle flock in safe­ty keep

For O! the wolf is nigh.

He comes of hell­ish ma­lice full

To scat­ter

tear and slay;

He seiz­es ev­ery strag­gling soul

As his own law­ful prey.

Us in­to Thy pro­tect­ion take

And ga­ther with Thine arm;

Unless the fold we first for­sake

The wolf can nev­er harm.

We laugh to scorn his cru­el pow­er

While by our shep­herd’s side;

The sheep he nev­er can de­vour

Unless he first di­vide.

O do not suf­fer him to part

The souls that here agree;

But make us of one mind and heart

And keep us one in Thee!

Together let us sweet­ly live

Together let us die;

And each a star­ry crown re­ceive

And reign above the sky.

Keep us till then in per­fect peace

And call us each to prove

An end­less age of heav­en­ly bliss

An end­less age of love.