Verse 1
Shepherd of souls, with pitying eye
The thousands of our Israel see:
To thee in their behalf we fly,
Ourselves but newly found in thee.
Verse 2
See, where o’er desart wastes they err,
And neither food nor feeder have,
Nor fold, nor place of refuge near,
For no man cares their souls to save.
Verse 3
Wild as the untaught Indian’s brood
The Christian savages remain,
Strangers and enemies to God,
They make thee spend thy blood in vain.
Verse 4
Thy people, Lord, are sold for nought,
Nor know they their Redeemer nigh:
They perish whom thyself hast bought,
Their souls for lack of knowledge die.
Verse 5
The pit its mouth hath open’d wide,
To swallow up its careless prey:
Why should they die, when thou hast dy’d,
Hast dy’d to bear their sins away?
Verse 6
Why should the foe thy purchase seize?
Remember, Lord, thy dying groans:
The mead [meed] of all thy sufferings these,
O claim them for thy ransom’d ones.
Verse 7
Extend to these thy pard’ning grace,
To these be thy salvation shew’d,
O add them to thy chosen race,
O sprinkle all their hearts with blood.
Verse 8
Still let the publicans draw near,
Open the door of faith and heaven,
And grant their hearts thy word to hear,
And whisper all their sins forgiven.