Christ My Song - 1368
Chief of sinners, Lord, am I
(Thomas Kelly/Johannes Thomas Rüegg)
Chief of sinners, Lord, am I.
"Sinners, of whom I am chief." (1 Timothy 1,15)
1. Chief of sinners, Lord, am I;
nothing in myself I find;
nothing good. I'm all a lie.
False to thee, perverse and blind.
Such I am, and being such,
can I loathe myself too much? PDF - Midi
2. Lord, I do myself abhor,
and I fall before thy throne;
prostrate there, what wait I for?
Thy salvation – this alone.
Pardon for the past, and pow'r,
grace for every trying hour.
3. This will be enough for me;
having this, I'm free within;
free from guilt, from bondage free,
vilest bondage, that of sin.
Having this, I've all I need;
having this, I'm free indeed.
4. Chief of sinners, Lord, am I,
but thy grace sufficient is;
being so, I shall not die;
this I know – I rest in this.
Matchless grace! who needs it more?
Lord I wonder, and adore.
Thomas Kelly, Hymns on various passages of Scripture, ca. 1853, Hymn 178.