My God, I Love Thee

My God

I love Thee; not be­cause

I hope for Heav’n there­by

Nor yet be­cause who love Thee not

May eter­nal­ly die.

Thou

O my Je­sus

Thou didst me

Upon the cross em­brace;

For me didst bear the nails and spear

And ma­ni­fold dis­grace.

And griefs and tor­ments num­ber­less

And sweat of ago­ny;

E’en death it­self; and all for man

Who was Thine ene­my.

Then why

O bless­èd Je­sus Christ

Should I not love Thee well?

Not for the hope of win­ning Heav­en

Nor of es­cap­ing hell.

Not with the hope of gain­ing aught

Nor seek­ing a re­ward

But as Thy­self hast lov­èd me

O ev­er­last­ing Lord!

E’en so I love Thee

and will love

And in Thy praise will sing

Solely be­cause Thou art my God

And my eter­nal king.