Scripture Verse

The blood of Jesus Christ…cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Introduction

portrait
Herbert H. Booth (1862–1926)

Words & Mu­sic: Her­bert H. Booth, 1889 (🔊 pdf nwc). Booth wrote this song in No­vem­ber 1889 for the Christ­mas is­sue of All the World.

Lyrics

Savior, hear me, while be­fore Thy feet
I the re­cord of my sins re­peat,
Stained with guilt, my­self ab­hor­ring,
Filled with grief, my soul out­pour­ing;
Canst Thou still in mer­cy think of me,
Stoop to set my shac­kled spi­rit free,
Raise my sink­ing heart, and bid me be
Thy child once more?

Refrain

Grace there is my ev­ery debt to pay,
Blood to wash my ev­ery sin away,
Power to keep me sin­less day by day,
For me, for me!

All the me­mo­ries of deeds gone by,
Rise with­in me and Thy pow­er de­fy;
With a death­ly chill en­snar­ing,
They would leave my soul des­pair­ing.
Savior, take my hand, I can­not tell
How to stem the tides that round me swell,
How to ease my con­science or to quell
My flam­ing heart.

Refrain

Yet why should I fear, hast Thou not died
That no seek­ing soul should be de­nied?
To that heart its sins con­fess­ing,
Canst Thou fail to give a bless­ing?
By the love and pi­ty Thou hast shown,
By the blood that did for me atone,
Boldly will I kneel be­fore Thy throne,
A plead­ing soul.

Refrain

All the ri­vers of Thy grace I claim,
Over ev­ery pro­mise write my name;
As I am I come be­liev­ing,
As Thou art Thou dost, re­ceiv­ing,
Bid me rise a free and par­doned slave;
Master o’er my sin, the world, the grave,
Charging me to preach Thy pow­er to save,
To sin-bound souls.

Refrain