O God, I Love Thee

O God

I love Thee; not that my poor love

May win me en­trance to Thy Heav­en ab­ove

Nor yet that strang­ers to Thy love must know

The bit­ter­ness of ev­er­last­ing woe.

But

Je­sus

Thou art mine

and I am Thine;

Clasped to Thy bo­som by Thy arms di­vine

Who on the cru­el cross for me hast borne

The nails

the spear

and man’s un­pi­ty­ing scorn.

No thought can fa­thom and no tongue ex­press

Thy griefs

Thy toils

Thy ang­uish mea­sure­less

Thy death

O Lamb of God the un­de­filed;

And all for me

Thy way­ward sin­ful child.

How can I choose but love Thee

God’s dear Son

O Je­sus

love­li­est

and most lov­ing One!

Were there no Heav­en to gain

no Hell to flee

For what Thou art alone I must love Thee.

Not for the hope of glo­ry or re­ward

But even as Thy­self hast loved me

Lord

I love Thee

and will love Thee and ad­ore

Who art my king

my God

for ev­er­more.