Hymn of the Month – JUNE 2020
My Jesus, I Love Thee
Words: William R. Featherstone, 1862 | Music: Adoniram Gordon, 1876
Author William Featherstone was born in Montreal and wrote the lyrics to this hymn as a poem around the time he came to know Christ–when he was a teenager, sometime around around age 12 to 16. It was then later heard as a song—4 years after he died at age 27.
A unifying line of the song goes “if ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, tis now.” This is a call to children and teenagers and to everyone really—may we desire to love Jesus now, not later.
1. My Jesus, I love Thee; I know Thou art mine
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.2. I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.3. I will love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.4. In mansions of glory and endless delight
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.
You may also want to check out a new chorus added to this hymn–
I’ll love you in life
I’ll love you in death
With every beat of my heart
With every breath