Jesu, the Sinner's Friend, to Thee

Verse 1
Jesu, the sinner’s friend, to thee (Matt. 11:19, Luke 7:34)
Lost and undone for aid I flee (Isa. 6:5, Luke 19:10, Heb. 6:18)
Weary of earth, myself, and sin (Matt. 11:28)
Open thine arms, and take me in. (Luke 15:20, John 6:37)

Verse 2
Pity and heal my sin-sick soul (Gal. 3:22, Ps. 41:4, Matt. 9:12, Mark 2:17, Luke 5:31)
’Tis thou alone canst make me whole (Matt. 9:21-22, Mark 5:34, Mark 10:52, Luke 8:48, Luke 17:19, Luke 18:42)
Fal’n, till in me thine image shine (Gen. 1:26-27, II Cor. 3:18, Col. 3:10)
And cursed I am till thou art mine.

Verse 3
Hear, Jesu, hear my helpless cry (Ps. 40:1, Ps. 61:1, Ps. 130:1-2)
O save a wretch condemn’d to die! (Rom. 7:24)
The sentence in myself I feel (II Cor. 1:9)
And all my nature teems with hell.

Verse 4
When shall concupiscence and pride
No more my tortur’d heart divide! (Rom. 7:8, Gal. 5:17, Col. 3:5, I John 2:16)
When shall this agony be o’er
And the old Adam rage no more! (Rom. 6:6, I Cor. 15:22, Eph. 4:22)

Verse 5
Awake, the woman’s conqu’ring seed,
Awake, and bruise the serpent’s head, (Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:20)
Tread down thy foes, with power controul
The beast and devil in my soul. (Heb. 2:14; I John 3:8)

Verse 6
The mansion for thyself prepare,
Dispose my heart by entring there! (John 14:23, Eph. 3:17, Rev. 3:20)
’Tis this alone can make me clean,
’Tis this alone can cast out sin. (Ezek. 36:25-27, I John 1:7, I John 1:9)

Verse 7
Long have I vainly hop’d and strove
To force my hardness into love,
To give thee all thy laws require;
And labour’d in the purging fire. (Mal. 3:2-3)

Verse 8
A thousand specious arts essay’d,
Call’d the deep Mystic to my aid:
His boasted skill the brute refin’d,
But left the subtler fiend behind.

Verse 9
Frail, dark, impure, I still remain,
Nor hope to break my nature’s chain: (Jer. 13:23, Rom. 7:23, Rom. 8:7-8)
The fond self-emptying scheme is past,
And lo! Constrain’d I yield at last. (Gal. 3:22, Rom. 6:13, II Cor. 5:14)

Verse 10
At last I own it cannot be
That I should fit myself for thee: (Eph. 2:8-10, Col. 1:12, Tit. 3:5)
Here then to thee, I all resign,
Thine is the work, and only thine. (Phil. 2:13)

Verse 11
No more to lift my eyes I dare
Abandon’d to a just despair; (Ezra 9:6, Luke 18:13)
I have my punishment in view.
I feel a thousand hells my due. (Ezra 9:13, Rom. 6:23)

Verse 12
What shall I say thy grace to move?
Lord I am sin—but thou art love: (Ps. 51:5, Rom. 7:18, I John 4:8, I John 4:16)
I give up every plea beside (Phil. 3:8-9)
“Lord I am damn’d—but thou hast died!” (Rom. 5:6, Rom. 5:8; Rom. 8:34, I Pet. 3:18)

Verse 13
While groaning at thy feet I fall (Ps. 38:9, Mark 5:22, Mark 7:25, Luke 8:41, Luke 17:16, John 11:32)
Spurn me away, refuse my call,
If love permit, contract thy brow,
And, if thou canst, destroy me now!