"Thee Will I Love, My Strength, My Tower" by Johann Scheffler, 1624-1677 Text From: THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941) 1. Thee will I love, my Strength, my Tower; Thee will I love, my Hope, my Joy; Thee will I love with all my power, With ardor time shall ne'er destroy. Thee will I love, O Light Divine, So long as life is mine. 2. Thee will I love, my Life, my Savior, Who art my best and truest Friend; Thee will I love and praise forever, For never shall Thy kindness end; Thee will I love with all my heart, Thou my Redeemer art. 3. I thank Thee, Jesus, Sun from heaven, Whose radiance hath bro't light to me; I thank Thee, who hast richly given All that could make me glad and free; I thank Thee that my soul is healed By what Thy lips revealed. 4. Oh, keep me watchful, then, and humble And suffer me no more to stray; Uphold me when my feet would stumble, Nor let me loiter by the way. Fill all my nature with Thy light, O Radiance strong and bright! 5. Oh, teach me, Lord, to love Thee truly With soul and body, head and heart, And grant me grace that I may duly Practice fore'er love's sacred art. Grant that my every thought may be Directed e'er to Thee. 6. Thee will I love, my Crown of gladness; Thee will I love, my God and Lord, Amid the darkest depths of sadness, Not for the hope of high reward-- For Thine own sake, O Light Divine, So long as life is mine. ______________________________________________________ Notes: Hymn #399 from _The Lutheran Hymnal_ Text: John 14:23 Author: Johann Scheffler, 1657, cento Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt. Titled: "Ich will dich lieben, meine Staerke" Tune: "Ich will dich lieben" 1st Published in: _Harmonischer Liederschatz_ Town: Frankfurt, 1733 ______________________________________________________________ This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg by Richard G. Schaefer and is in the public domain. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary. E-mail: bob_smith@ctsfw.edu Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA Phone: (219) 452-2148 Fax: (219) 452-2126 ______________________________________________________________