Gentle Jesus

Heather Allington

Heather writes for Sunday Song Book on behalf of the The Salvation Army Oshawa. As a lifelong member of the Army, she has loved these familiar - and some less familiar - songs for many years, and enjoys researching and writing about their origins. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired elementary school teacher who likes trying her hand at watercolour painting and poetry writing.

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,
Look upon a little child;
Pity my simplicity;
Suffer me to come to Thee.

Fain I would to Thee be brought –
Gracious Lord, forbid it not;
In the Kingdom of Thy grace
Give a little child a place.

Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb,
In Thy gracious hands I am;
Make me, Saviour, what Thou art;
Live Thyself within my heart.

Lamb of God, I look to Thee –
Thou shalt my example be;
Thou art gentle, meek and mild;
Thou wast once a little child.

Now I would be as Thou art;
Give me an obedient heart;
Thou art pitiful and kind;
Let me have Thy loving mind.

I shall then show forth Thy praise,
Serve Thee all my happy days;
Then the world shall always see
Christ, the holy Child, in me.

This is the week of Mother’s Day in Canada and for some people this children’s song, with its old-fashioned wording, may have been the first hymn they sang or prayer they learned from their mothers. Today’s children certainly need to have some words explained, such as suffer, meaning allow! Although Charles Wesley wrote the hymn for children, and it is often used at the dedication of babies, the prayerful requests are suitable for adults as well. “Give me an obedient heart,” and “Let me have Thy loving mind,” stand out.

for some people this children’s song, with its old-fashioned wording, may have been the first hymn they sang or prayer they learned Share on X

Charles Wesley did considerable travelling when he returned to England after a stint in America. He preached and gave pastoral support to the Methodist societies, mainly in Bristol and London. Over his lifetime he wrote 9,000 hymns and poems, which could be considered an average of 10 lines of verse every day for 50 years! Some hymns were written in collaboration with his brother, John. Charles Wesley lived from 1707 to 1788.