Gentle Jesus

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, Look upon a little child

Author: Charles Wesley
Published in 243 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,
look upon a little child,
pity my simplicity,
suffer me to come to thee.

2 Fain I would to thee be brought;
gracious Lord, forbid it not;
in the kingdom of thy grace
give a little child a place.

3 Fain I would be as thou art;
give me thy obedient heart;
thou art pitiful and kind;
let me have thy loving mind.

4 Let me above all fulfill
God my heavenly Father’s will;
never his good Spirit grieve;
only to his glory live.

5 Lamb of God, I look to thee;
thou shalt my example be;
thou art gentle, meek and mild;
thou wast once a little child.

6 Thou didst live to God alone;
thou didst never seek thine own;
thou thyself didst never please:
God was all thy happiness.

7 Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb,
in thy gracious hands I am;
make me, Saviour, what thou art,
live thyself within my heart.

8 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.

Source: CPWI Hymnal #646

Author: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepene… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, Look upon a little child
Title: Gentle Jesus
Author: Charles Wesley
Meter: 7.7.7.7
Place of Origin: United Kingdom
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild. C. Wesley. [A Child's Prayer.] First published in Hymns & Sacred Poems, 1742; and again in Hymns for Children, 1763, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. Following it is another hymn, marked pt. ii, and beginning, "Lamb of God, I look to Thee," also in 7 stanzas of 4 lines, thus accounting for the statement sometimes made that the original is in 14 stanzas. Centos from both parts are found in most collections for children in English-speaking countries, and are exceedingly popular with the young. The construction of each cento may be traced by a reference to the original text in Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. vi. p. 441, No. 336. "Lamb of God," &c, in the Methodist Sunday School Hymn Book, 1879, is entirely from pt. ii., whilst "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild," is compiled from both.
Other arrangements are:—
(1) “Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb," in the American Methodist Episcopal Hymns, 1849; and (2) "Holy Jesus, Saviour mild," in the Bonchurch Hymn Book, 1868.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 243)

A Church of England Hymn Book #610

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A Selection of Spiritual Songs #130

A Treasury of Hymns, the Best-Loved Hymns, Carols ... #d74

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Alexander's Hymns No. 4 #207

American Sunday School Hymn Book. 2nd ed. #a32

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American Sunday School Hymn Book. New ed. #aa32

Anglican Hymn Book #321

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Augsburg Songs for Sunday Schools and other services #167

Augsburg Songs, Nos. l and 2 Combined #d73

Baptist Hymnal #510

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Book of Worship (Rev. ed.) #500

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Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes #464

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Book of Worship #500

Canadian Sabbath-School Hymn Book #d69

Carmina for Social Worship #d63

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Carmina for the Sunday School and Social Worship #192

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Chapel Treasures (Christ Chapel Sabbath-School, Lebanon, PA) #259

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Children's Hymnal of the Presbyterian Church in Canada #162

Children's Hymnal #103

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Children's Hymns #1

Children's Praise #d40

Children's Praise and Worship #d34

Children's Praises #d11

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Christian Melodies #144

Church Hymnal, Fourth Edition #607

Church Hymnal, Third Edition #611

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Church Hymns #621

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Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church #561

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CPWI Hymnal #646

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Dew Drops #61

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Free Methodist Hymnal #691

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Garnered Gems #161

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Gems of Song #201

Gesangbuch fuer Deutsche Sonntagsschulen #d56

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Gospel Hosannas #106

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Gospel Tent Hymns #139

Happy Songs for Boys and Girls #d12

Hymn Book of the Holiness Movement Church #d119

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Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #820

Hymnal for children #d55

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Hymnal of the Presbyterian Church in Canada #335

Hymnal of the Presbyterian Church in Canada with Accompanying Tunes #d87

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Hymnal with Music for Children #60a

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Hymnal with Music for Children #60b

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Hymnal with Music for Children #60a

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Hymnal with Music for Children #60b

Hymns Ancient and Modern, Revised #451

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Hymns and Chants #216

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Hymns and Offices of Worship #268

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Hymns and Sacred Poems #194

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Hymns and Tunes for Schools #298

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Hymns for All Christians #H24

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Hymns for all Christians #24

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Hymns for First-Day Schools #90

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Hymns for First-Day Schools (Rev. and Enl.) #90

Hymns for Schools and Families #d147

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Hymns for Sunday Schools #A16

Hymns for Sunday Schools, Selected from Various Authoors #d64

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth and Children #176

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth, and Children #45

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth, and Children #176

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Hymns for the Church #429

Hymns for the King's Children #d26

Hymns for the use of Sabbath schools in Connection with the Canada Presbyterian Church #d15

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Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. ed. #S45

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Hymns from the Four Winds #97

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Hymns of Praise with Tunes #73

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Hymns of the Church #522a

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Hymns of the Church #522b

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Hymns of the Faith #626

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #423

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #423

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #483

Hymns of The Voice of Praise #d69

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Hymns of Worship and Service #458

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Hymns of Worship and Service (15th ed.) #458

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Hymns of Worship and Service (Chapel Ed., 4th ed.) #374

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Hymns of Worship and Service #458

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Hymns of Worship and Service. (Chapel ed.) #374

Hymns That Every Child Should Know #d34

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Hymns We Love #238

Hymns, Selected and Original, for Sunday Schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church #d99

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In Excelsis for School and Chapel #295

In Excelsis for School and Chapel. l7th ed. #d63

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Junior Christian Endeavor Songs #103

Junior Hymns #d23

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Juvenile Choir #85

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Light and Life Songs No. 2 #192

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Light and Life Songs No. 4 #183

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Light and Life Songs #207

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Living Hymns #374

Love and Praise #d37

Maynard's Selected Sabbath School Hymns. 4th ed. #d43

Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #d208

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Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #590

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Methodist Hymn-Book #823

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New Baptist Hymnal #104

Pages

Exclude 234 pre-1979 instances
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