Hymn
O Thou, the contrite sinners' friend
O Thou, the contrite sinners' Friend,
Who, loving, lov'st them to the end,
On this alone my hopes depend,
That Thou wilt plead for me.
When, weary in the Christian race,
Far off appears my resting-place,
And, fainting, I mistrust Thy grace,
Then, Saviour, plead for me.
When I have erred and gone astray,
Afar from Thine and wisdom's way,
And see no glimmering guiding ray,
Still, Saviour, plead for me.
When Satan, by my sins made bold,
Strives from Thy cross to loose my hold,
Then with Thy pitying arms enfold,
And plead, O plead for me.
And when my dying hour draws near,
O'ercast with sorrow, pain, and fear,
Then to my fainting sight appear,
Pleading in heaven for me.
When the full light of heavenly day
Reveals my sins in dread array,
Say Thou hast washed them all away;
O say Thou plead'st for me.
O Thou, the contrite sinners' friend — Text from The Hymnal, 1895. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/o-thou-the-contrite-sinners-friend
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote O Thou, the contrite sinners' friend?
The words of O Thou, the contrite sinners' friend were written by Charlotte Elliott; the version here was published in 1895. The library holds 7 more hymns by Charlotte Elliott, including My God, my Father, while I stray and Clinging to Thee.
Is O Thou, the contrite sinners' friend public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from The Hymnal, published in 1895. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of O Thou, the contrite sinners' friend?
O Thou, the contrite sinners' friend is in 8.8.8.6. Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us.