"Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners"

The music for this hymn was written in 1830 by Rowland H. Prichard (1811-1887). The tune comes from a Welsh folk song and has had about seven different texts put to its melodies. This particular text was written by Evangelist J. Wilbur Chapman (1859-1918) in 1910.

As an aside, a blog search didn't turn up an audio recording of this hymn. But it DID turn up the text to a sermon preached on June 29, 1862, by Charles Spurgeon, entitled The Friend of Sinners.

JESUS! WHAT A FRIEND FOR SINNERS

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Refrain

Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows over me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night overtakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.

Refrain

Jesus! I do now receive Him,
[or Jesus! I do now adore Him,]
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

Refrain