"I do Not Come Because My Soul"
                             by Frank B. St. John
                                  Text From:
                              THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
                 (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941)



        1. I do not come because my soul
        Is free from sin and pure and whole
        And worthy of Thy grace;
        I do not speak to Thee because
        I've never justly kept Thy laws
        And dare to meet Thy face.

        2. I know that sin and guilt combine
        To reign o'er every thought of mine
        And torn from good to ill;
        I know that, when I try to be
        Upright and just and true to Thee,
        I am a sinner still.

        3. I know that often when I strive
        To keep a spark of love alive
        For Thee, the powers within
        Leap up in unsubmissive might
        And oft benumb my sense of right
        And pull me back to sin.

        4. I know that, though in doing good
        I spend my life, I never could
        Atone for all I've done;
        But though my sins are black as night,
        I dare to come before Thy sight
        Because I trust Thy Son.

        5. In Him alone my trust I place,
        Come boldly to Thy Throne of grace,
        And there commune with Thee.
        Salvation sure, O Lord, is mine,
        And, all unworthy, I am Thine,
        For Jesus died for me.

        ________________________________________________
        Notes:
        Hymn #379 from _The Lutheran Hymnal_
        Text: Rom. 7:19-25
        Author: Frank B. St. John, 1878
        Composer: German melody, c. 1400
        Tune: "Kommt her zu mir"
    ______________________________________________________________________
        This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
          by Marilyn F. Gardner and is in the public domain. You may
         freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any
        

                        "I do Not Come Because My Soul"
                             by Frank B. St. John
                                  Text From:
                              THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
                 (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941)



        1. I do not come because my soul
        Is free from sin and pure and whole
        And worthy of Thy grace;
        I do not speak to Thee because
        I've never justly kept Thy laws
        And dare to meet Thy face.

        2. I know that sin and guilt combine
        To reign o'er every thought of mine
        And torn from good to ill;
        I know that, when I try to be
        Upright and just and true to Thee,
        I am a sinner still.

        3. I know that often when I strive
        To keep a spark of love alive
        For Thee, the powers within
        Leap up in unsubmissive might
        And oft benumb my sense of right
        And pull me back to sin.

        4. I know that, though in doing good
        I spend my life, I never could
        Atone for all I've done;
        But though my sins are black as night,
        I dare to come before Thy sight
        Because I trust Thy Son.

        5. In Him alone my trust I place,
        Come boldly to Thy Throne of grace,
        And there commune with Thee.
        Salvation sure, O Lord, is mine,
        And, all unworthy, I am Thine,
        For Jesus died for me.

        ________________________________________________
        Notes:
        Hymn #379 from _The Lutheran Hymnal_
        Text: Rom. 7:19-25
        Author: Frank B. St. John, 1878
        Composer: German melody, c. 1400
        Tune: "Kommt her zu mir"
    ______________________________________________________________________
        This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
          by Marilyn F. Gardner and is in the public domain. You may
         freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any
            comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the
              Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.
                                       
                          E-mail: bob_smith@ctsfw.edu

          Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA
             Phone: (219) 452-2148             Fax: (219) 452-2126
    ______________________________________________________________________