Jesus, friend of sin­ners, hast Thou love for me?
Son of God the Ho­ly, Man of mys­te­ry,
Lover of the child­ren, teach­er of the wise,
Let me read the sec­ret in Thy friend­ly eyes.

Jesus, friend of sin­ners, Thou hast read my heart,
Searching its re­cess­es with a lov­er’s art;
Naught have I with­hold­en, no­thing hid from Thee—
Waste, or want, or fol­ly—things that should not be.

Jesus, friend of sin­ners, Thou hast touched my soul,
Not with scorn­ful pity, not with beg­gar’s dole;
Thou hast not des­pis­èd men that faint or fall,
Tenderer than bro­ther, for Thou know­est all.

Jesus, friend of sin­ners, bid me fol­low Thee,
O’er the rug­ged high­ways, e’en to Cal­va­ry;
Let me know Thy Spir­it, sweet and strong and wise;
I would win the friend­ship in Thy lov­ing eyes.

Jesus, friend of sin­ners, hold me by Thy side,
Till the sha­dows deep­en tow’rd the ev­en­tide;
To Thy strength and beau­ty I would ev­er bend,
Till, in dawn eter­nal, friend shall be as friend!