One there is, a-bove all oth-ers,
Well de-serves the name of Friend;
His is love be-yond a bro-ther's,
Cost-ly, free, and knows no end.
They who once His kind-ness prove
Find it ev-er-last-ing love.
Which of all our friends, to save us,
Could or would have shed his blood?
But our Je-sus died to have us
Re-con-ciled in Him to God.
This was bound-less love in-deed;
Je-sus is a Friend in need.
When He lived on earth a-bas-ed,
"Friend of sin-ners' was His name;
Now a-bove all glo-ry rais-ed,
He re-joic-es in the same;
Still He calls them breth-ren, friends,
And to all their wants at-tends.
Could we bear from one an-oth-er
What He dai-ly bears from us?
Yet this glo-rious Friend and Bro-ther
Loves us though we treat Him thus;
Though for good we ren-der ill,
He ac-counts us breth-ren still.
O for grace our hearts to soft-en!
Teach us, Lord, at length to love;
We, a-las! for-get too oft-en
What a Friend we have a-bove;
But when home our goods are brought,
We will love You as we ought.