My God, I love Thee

1. My God, I love Thee, not because
I hope for Heav’n thereby,
Nor yet because, if I love not,
I must forever die.
Thou, O my Jesus, didst me
Upon the Cross embrace;
For me didst bear the nails and spear
And manifold disgrace.
Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ,
Should I not love Thee well?
Not for the sake of winning Heav’n,
Nor of escaping hell.

2. Not with the hope of gaining aught,
Not seeking a reward,
But as Thyself hast loved me,
O everloving Lord.
So would I love Thee, Savior,
And in Thy praise will sing;
Because Thou art my loving GodAnd my eternal King.
My God, I love Thee for Thyself,
Not seeking a reward.
But, as Thyself hast loved me,
O everloving Lord!

3. My God, how wonderful Thou art,
Thy majesty, how bright!
How beautiful Thy Mercy seat
In depths of burning light!
How beautiful, how beautiful
The sight of Thee must be!
Thine endless wisdom, bound’less power
And awesome purity!
O how I fear Thee, living God
With deepest, tend’rest fears,
And worship Thee with trembling hope
And penitential tears!

4. Yet, I may love Thee too,
O Lord, almighty as Thou art,
For Thou hast deigned to ask of me
The love of my poor heart.No earthly father loves like Thee,
No mother e’er so mild
Bears and forbears as Thou hast done
With me, Thy sinful child.
Father of Jesus, love’s reward,
What rapture will it be
Prostrate before Thy throne to kneel
And gaze and gaze on Thee!