O God, I love Thee; not that my poor love

O God, I love Thee; not that my poor love

Translator: Edward Henry Bickersteth; Author: St. Francis Xavier
Tune: PAX DEI (Dykes)
Published in 8 hymnals

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Representative Text

1 O God, I love thee; not that my poor love
May win me entrance to thy heav'n above,
Nor yet that strangers to thy love must know
The bitterness of everlasting woe.

2 But, Jesus, thou art mine, and I am thine;
Clasped to thy bosom by thine arms divine,
Who on the cruel Cross for me hast borne
The nails, the spear, and man’s unpitying scorn.

3 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.

4 How can I choose but love thee, God’s dear Son,
O Jesus, loveliest and most loving one!
Were there no heav'n to gain, no hell to flee,
For what thou art alone I must love thee.

5 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, forevermore.

Source: Lutheran Book of Worship #491

Translator: Edward Henry Bickersteth

Bickersteth, Edward Henry, D.D., son of Edward Bickersteth, Sr. born at Islington, Jan. 1825, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A. with honours, 1847; M.A., 1850). On taking Holy Orders in 1848, he became curate of Banningham, Norfolk, and then of Christ Church, Tunbridge Wells. His preferment to the Rectory of Hinton-Martell, in 1852, was followed by that of the Vicarage of Christ Church, Hampstead, 1855. In 1885 he became Dean of Gloucester, and the same year Bishop of Exeter. Bishop Bickersteth's works, chiefly poetical, are:— (l) Poems, 1849; (2) Water from the Well-spring, 1852; (3) The Rock of Ages, 1858 ; (4) Commentary on the New Testament, 1864; (5) Yesterday, To-day, and For Ever, 1867; (6) The Spirit of Life, 1868;… Go to person page >

Author: St. Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier, the great missionary saint of the Roman Catholic Church, was the son of Don John Giasso and Donna Maria d'Azpilqueta y Xavier; he was born at the castle Xavier, near Pampeluna, Spain, on April 7, 1506, and is known to history by his mother's name. At the age of eighteen he entered the University of Paris, where in due course he graduated, and then devoted himself to teaching. It was here that he became acquainted with Ignatius Loyola the founder of the Jesuits, who was then planning the colossal work which he afterwards accomplished. Xavier became one of the first nine of Loyola's converts, and the most enthusiastic of the little band. The date of the formation of the Order of the Jesuits is given as Aug. 15, 1534, and t… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: O God, I love Thee; not that my poor love
Latin Title: O Deus, ego amo Te
Author: St. Francis Xavier
Translator: Edward Henry Bickersteth
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

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The Cyber Hymnal #4856
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The Cyber Hymnal #4856

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