1 JESUS, the needy sinner's friend,
Command the crowd to sit,
Who hungry still on thee attend,
And nothing have to eat;
They hear the word thy lips have said,
Low at thy feet they bow,
Distribute now the heavenly bread,
And feed their spirits now.
2 O'er-whelmed with blessings from above,
Father, before we taste
These freshest tokens of thy love,
We thank thee for the past;
Our eyes and hearts to heaven we lift,
And, taught by Jesus, own
That every grace and every gift
Descends from thee alone.
3 The gospel by our Saviour blessed
Doth efficacious prove,
The loaves a thousand-fold increased
Communicate his love;
We banquet on the heavenly bread,
When Christ himself imparts,
By his disciples' hands conveyed
To all believing hearts.