"I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table"
                       by Friedrich C. Heyder, 1677-1754
                            Translated by composite
                                  Text From:
                              THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
                 (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941)



        1. I come, O Savior, to Thy Table,
        For weak and weary is my soul;
        Thou, Bread of Life, alone art able
        To satisfy and make me whole:

        REFRAIN:
        Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
        Be for my soul the highest good!

        2. Oh, grant that I in manner worthy
        May now approach Thy heavenly Board
        And, as I lowly bow before Thee,
        Look only unto Thee, O Lord!

        3. Unworthy though I am, O Savior,
        Because I have a sinful heart,
        Yet Thou Thy lamb wilt banish never
        For Thou my faithful Shepherd art!

        4. Oh, let me loathe all sin forever
        As death and poison to my soul
        That I through wilful sinning never
        May see Thy Judgment take its toll!

        5. Thy heart is filled with fervent yearning
        That sinners may salvation see
        Who, Lord, to Thee in faith are turning;
        So I, a sinner, come to Thee.

        6. Weary am I and heavy laden,
        With sin my soul is sore opprest;
        Receive me graciously, and gladden
        My heart, for I am now Thy guest.

        7. Thou here wilt find a heart most lowly
        That humbly falls before Thy feet,
        That duly weeps o'er sin, yet solely
        Thy merit pleads, as it is meet.

        8. By faith I call Thy holy Table
        The testament of Thy deep love;
        For, lo, thereby I now am able
        To see how love Thy heart doth move.

        9. What higher gift can we inherit?
        It is faith's bond and solid base;
        It is the strength of heart and spirit,
        The covenant of hope and grace.

        10. This feast is manna, wealth abounding
        Unto the poor, to weak ones power,
        To angels joy, to hell confounding,
        And life for us in death's dark hour.

        11. Thy body, given for me, O Savior,
        Thy blood which Thou for me didst shed,
        These are my life and strength forever,
        By them my hungry soul is fed.

        12. With Thee, Lord, I am now united;
        I live in Thee and Thou in me.
        No sorrow fills my soul, delighted
        It finds its only joy in Thee.

        13. Who can condemn me now? For surely
        The Lord is nigh, who justifies.
        No hell I fear, and thus securely,
        With Jesus I to heaven rise.

        14. Though death may threaten with disaster,
        It cannot rob me of my cheer;
        For He who is of death the Master
        With aid and comfort e'er is near.

        15. My heart has now become Thy dwelling,
        O blessed Holy Trinity.
        With angels I, Thy praises telling,
        Shall live in joy eternally.

        _______________________________________
        Notes:
        Hymn #315 from _The Lutheran Hymnal_
        Text: 1 Cor. 11:28
        Author: Friedrich C. Heyder, 1710, cento
        Translated by: composite
        Titled: "Ich komm' zu deinem Abendmahle"
        Tune: "Ich sterbe taeglich"
        1st Published in: _Ms., Municipal Library_
        Town: Leipzig, 1756
        ______________________________________________________________
        This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
             by Debbie Harris 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

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