Grand Haven Daily Tribune  July 1, 1911

Because He First Loved Me!

Father, who art in Heaven above,

Thou know’st, I love Thee well;

Not for the sake of gaining Heaven

Nor for the fear of Hell!

But this is why my soul loves Thee;

Because, dear Lord, thou first loved me!

I love Thee for Thy tenderness

To note the sparrow’s fall;

And for Thy gift of endless life,

To mankind,—one and all.

For this great love, so full and free,

Because of this, my soul loves Thee!

Thou lov’st the beggar, at my door,

The thief behind the bars;

All the souls of those gone out

Beyond the shining stars!

And Thou has sent Thy only Son

To save Thy children, everyone.

I have always loved Thee Father,

But not because of fear;

But, oh! because of Thy great love

For all men far and near.

And this is why my soul loves Thee;

Because Thou hast loved them and me.

I love Thee not because I hope

For immortality;

Nor yet, because of a reward,

To be bestowed on me;

But oh! because I clearly see,

That first and last, Thou hast loved me.

God, of the broken hearted ones,

The useless, and the old:

The vilest sinner on our streets,

The homeless, and the cold.

Thy love embraces these, I see

Not only those, but even me.

Oh God! of all who loved Thee not;

The outcasts of our race!

For all of these, our Savior died

To save them through Thy grace.

And this is why my soul loves Thee,

Because Thou hast loved them and me!

Grand Haven, Mich.

David Fletcher Hunton.