"The Ninety and Nine"

We don't hear this wonderful old song much anymore, but I've always liked it and was so glad to learn the story behind the song. 
Ira Sankey, who wrote the music for the song, gives us the story.

     "It was in the year 1874 that the poem 'The Ninety and Nine was discovered.'  Its discovery seemed as if by chance, but I cannot regard it otherwise than providential.  Mr. Moody had just been conducting a series of meetings in Glasgow, and I had been assisting him in his work as director of the singing.  We were at the railway station at Glasgow, and about to take the train for Edinburgh.

      As we were about to board the train, I bought a weekly newspaper for a penny.  In the hope of finding news from America, I began perusing my newspaper.  This hope, however, was doomed to disappointment.  I threw the paper down, but shortly before arriving at our destination, I picked it up again, with a view to reading the advertisements.
While thus engaged, my eyes fell upon a little piece of poetry in a corner of the paper.  I carefully read it over, and at once made up my mind that this would make a great hymn for evangelistic work ---- if it had a tune!  I cut out the poem and placed it in my musical scrapbook.

      At the noon meeting on the second day, the subject presented by Mr. Moody and other speakers was 'The Good Shepherd.'  At the conclusion, Mr. Moody turned to me with the question, 'Have you a solo appropriate for this subject with which to close the service?'
I had nothing suitable in mind, and was greatly troubled to know what to do.  At this moment, I seemed to hear a voice saying, 'Sing the hymn you found on the train!'  But I thought this impossible, as no music had ever been written for that hymn.
Again, the impression came strongly upon me that I must sing the beautiful and appropriate words I had found the day before, and placing the little newspaper slip on the organ in front of me, I lifted my heart in prayer, asking God to help me so to sing that the people might hear and understand.  Laying my hands upon the organ, I struck the key of A flat and began to sing.

      Note by note the tune was given, which has not been changed from that day to this.  As the singing ceased, a great sigh seemed to go up from the meeting, and I knew that the song had reached the hearts of my Scotch audience.  Mr. Moody was greatly moved.  Leaving the pulpit, he came down to where I was seated.  Leaning over the organ, he looked at the little newspaper slip from which the song had been sung, and with tears in his eyes, said, 'Sankey, where did you get that hymn?  I never heard the like of it in my life.'
I also was moved to tears.  Then Mr. Moody raised his hand and pronounced the benediction, and the meeting closed.  Thus, 'The Ninety and Nine' was born."

     "There were ninety and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the fold,
But one was out on the hills away, far off from the gates of gold;
      Away on the mountains wild and bare, Away from the tender Shepherd's care,
Away from the tender Shepherd's care.

     'Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine; Are they not enough for Thee?'
But the Shepherd made answer: 'This of Mine has wandered away from Me;
      And although the road be rough and steep, I go to the desert to find My sheep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep'.

      But none of the ransomed ever knew how deep were the waters crossed;
Or how dark was the night that the Lord passed through, ere He found His sheep that was lost.
      Out in the desert He heard its cry -- Sick and helpless, and ready to die!
Sick and helpless, and ready to die.

      'Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way, that mark out the mountain's track'?
They were shed for one who had gone astray, ere the Shepherd could bring him back.
      'Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?'  'They're pierced tonight by many a thorn,
They're pierced tonight by many a thorn.'

      But all through the mountains, thunder riven, and up from the rocky steep,
There rose a cry to the gate of heaven, 'Rejoice!  I have found My sheep!'
      And the angels echoed around the throne, 'Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!"

     My heart is blessed even as I type these wonderful words!!  I'm so thankful that the Shepherd sought me when I was lost and far off from the gates of gold!
I wonder, dear friend, if you are away from the Shepherd today?  Jesus is seeking you, and longs to bring you back into the fold, for Matthew 18:11 tells us -- "The Son of man is come to save that which was lost!"