Dear Shepherd of Thy people, hear;
Thy presence now display;
As Thou hast given a place for prayer,
So give us hearts to pray.
O Lord, our languid souls inspire,
For here, we trust, thou art!
Send down a coal of heav’nly fire,
To warm each waiting heart.
Show us some token of Thy love,
Our fainting hope to raise;
And pour Thy blessings from above,
That we may render praise.
Within these walls let holy peace
And love and concord dwell;
Here give the troubled conscience ease,
The wounded spirit heal.
The feeling heart, the melting eye,
The humble mind bestow;
And shine upon us from on high,
To make our graces grow!
May we in faith receive Thy Word,
In faith present our prayers;
And, in the presence of our Lord,
Unbosom all our cares.
And may the Gospel’s joyful sound
Enforced by mighty grace,
Awaken many sinners round,
To come and fill the place.
Words: John Newton, Olney Hymns (London: W. Oliver, 1779). In Newton’s original version, the first stanza was the one beginning, “O Lord, our languid souls inspire.”
To hear the music for this Hymn:
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/d/e/dearshep.htm
