Chief Shepherd of Thy Chosen Sheep
The excerpt is a prayerful appeal to the divine for guidance and strength for spiritual leaders tasked with caring for souls freed from sin and death. It calls for leaders to be models of compassion, patience, love, and skill, urging them to live out and teach sacred truths with fervor. The text stresses the necessity for vigilance, warning that distractions—such as the pursuit of earthly pleasures, ambition, praise, or gain—can corrupt the shepherd’s mission. It condemns any form of pastoral negligence, emphasizing that those who allow worldly concerns to override their spiritual duties become ineffective and are liable to divine punishment, depicted with stark imagery of loss of power and capability. The passage concludes with a plea for the bestowal of divine grace and strength upon all who serve in these roles, so they may labor diligently in their mission.
By John Newton · First published 1779 · Genre: Religious Hymn, Christian Devotional Poetry, Religious Poetry · 265 words
First lines
I: Chief Shepherd of thy chosen sheep, / From death and sin set free; / May every under shepherd keep / His eye intent on thee!
II: With plenteous grace their hearts prepare / To execute thy will --
Compassion, patience, love, and care, / And faithfulness and skill.
III: Inflame their minds with holy zeal / Their flocks to feed and teach; / And let them live, and let them feel / The sacred truths they preach.
Genres
- Religious Hymn — Composed as a hymn with structured verses and refrain suited for worship, invoking divine guidance and protection.
- Christian Devotional Poetry — Combines poetic form with themes of grace, obedience, and spiritual teaching intrinsic to devotional literature.
- Religious Poetry — Utilizes poetic imagery and form to express spiritual truths and theological reflections.
- Inspirational Literature — Aims to uplift and motivate its audience with calls to faithfulness, compassion, and moral integrity.
Tags
Christian theology · Religion · Spirituality · Devotional · Faith · Biblical analysis · Scripture · Worship · Pastoral care · Grace · Redemption · Salvation
What this Textopian page supports
Chief Shepherd of Thy Chosen Sheep is listed on Textopian as a poem by John Newton, dated 1779 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: John Newton
- Date: 1779 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Religious Hymn, Christian Devotional Poetry, Religious Poetry, Inspirational Literature, Theological Literature
- Length: 265 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for Chief Shepherd of Thy Chosen Sheep by John Newton
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