Shepherd of Tender Youth

An Old Christian Hymn (from the third book of Clement of Alexandria)

[I don’t know how they make them rhyme so well when they translate to English!]

Shepherd of tender youth, Guiding in love and truth Through devious ways; Christ, our triumphant king, We come Your name to sing And here our children bring To join Your praise.

You are our holyLord, The all-subduing Word, Healer of strife. Yourself You did abase That from sin’s deep disgrace You so might save our race And give us life.

You are thegreat High Priest; You have prepared the feast Of holy love; And in our mortal pain None calls on You in vain; Our pleas do not disdain— Help from above.

Forever be ourguide, Our shepherd and our pride, Our staff and song. Jesus, O Christ of God, By Your enduring Word, Lead us where You have trod; Make our faith strong.

So now, and till we die, Sound we Your praises high And joyful sing: Infants, and all the throng* Who to Your church belong, Unite to swell the song To Christ, our king!

*Note that some texts have: “With all the holy throng.” Edits over the years, make the last stanza unreliable as proof for us fans of paedo-baptism. The case is made, rather, on the assumption that as the old covenant sign was applied to infants of the family of believers, so also is the new covenant sign.)