 
 
                   "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. 
 
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        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 
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        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
                                       
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            Phone: (219) 452-2148              Fax: (219) 452-2126
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