作者: 費瑟史東

作曲: 高登博士

Words: William R. Featherston, 1864; Featherston was only 16 years old at the time

Music: “Gordon,” Adoniram J. Gordon, 1876 (MIDI, score).

一 恩主，我愛你， 我深知你屬我； 　

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

二 恩主，我愛你， 因為你先愛我，

　 如果我愛你， 主耶穌，是現在！

I love Thee because Thou has 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.

三 活著我愛你， 到死了也愛你；

　 如果我愛你， 主耶穌，是現在！

I’ll 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.

四 在那無止境 喜樂的榮耀裡，

　 如果我愛你， 主耶穌，是現在。

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.

我們愛，因為 神先愛我們。(約翰壹書 4﹕19)

詩人介紹

這是一首（（摘自《生命詩歌》212首）；另譯見《聖徒詩歌》225首）大家所愛吟唱的感人詩歌,由於所唱的對象是向著主去,因此是個人親近主,禱告的最佳靈修詩歌。這首歌歌,不但感動了許多人悔改歸主,同時也激勵了許多基督徒更熱心愛主，願意將自己奉獻給主時，因此這首詩歌的發表問世,對後人的影響力實在是大有功效,是值得更多人來唱頌及大力介紹的。而這首詩歌的作者是費瑟史東(William Ralph Featherstone,1842-1870),他於1842年生於加拿大,可惜的是,他只活了二十八歲 就去世了,但是他所創作的這首詩歌,卻是永被大家所紀念的。

據說這首歌是他於1858年,在悔改歸主那年所寫的,他將他心中對神的經歷與感受,化為他的禱告而寫成了這首詩,當他完成了這首詩之後,便將它寄給住在美國舊金山的姑媽,後來這首詩便一直沒有下文了。可是後來當這首歌第一次出現時,是在1872年,也就是費瑟史東死後的第二年,被收錄在英國倫敦某聖詩集中,是否是他的姑媽將它寄來英國發表,或是藉著別人流傳而傳到英國,就不得而知了,不過卻是受到很大歡迎,而當時這首歌雖然在倫敦被發表,可是竟然沒有人知道作者是誰,直到後來過了許多年之後才被發現,原來就是費瑟史東的作品。

後來, 高登博士(Dr. Adoniram Judson Gordon, 1826-1895)是美國浸信會的牧師。1870年，他在倫敦一本聖詩集上看到這首詩歌，對原來的配曲不甚滿意，經不斷的禱告和默想，作了今日各詩集一致採用的曲譜。這首詩歌譜的調子調子非常的美,很能夠表現出這首詩的特色,且更容易幫助唱者達到與主親近,愛主更深的境界。當我們唱的時候，很容易從這個調子裡產生一種被主愛充滿,願意愛主就是現在的感覺。建議此詩歌在唱時,速度不宜太快,當先默想主愛,並且安靜低聲的唱,才能真正唱出這首詩歌的感覺。

感人的見證

一位聖公會的會督曾作以下的見證：『有一位年輕著名的女伶，有一次她在一大城市中經過一門戶半開的房屋時，看到門旁榻上躺著一個臉色蒼白患病的少女，她心懷憐恤，就上前慰問她；想不到她反而被那病人勸慰。那少女是一個虔誠的基督徒，她對病痛的忍耐和對神的順服，使她靈裏得到滿足。在交談下，女伶發現她自己所擁有的是暫時的，虛浮的，因此內心常感空虛和苦悶；而這個少女雖為疾病所纏，卻從主得到喜樂和平安。那少女力勸女伶接受耶穌為她的救主，結果她竟然接納了，而且生命也有了改變。她意識到靈命與生活有關，而戲劇生涯使她不配成為一個虔誠的基督徒，因此決定改行。她父親是戲院經理，而她又是眾人羨慕的熠熠紅星，她的離去會影嚮整個票房和營業。父親對她的請求竭力反對。她深愛她父親，也不願棄之不顧，可是她更愛主。最後她答應父親作當晚的演出，那晚戲院滿座，開幕後，她悄悄地走到台前，當掌聲停止，燈光照在她美麗的臉上，她開始唱：「主耶穌我愛你」觀眾震驚而受感動。從此她走出了舞台，她父親在她的感化下，不久也信主。父女同工，他們帶領了很多人信主。』(取材自顧明明編撰的《古今聖詩漫談》)

MY JESUS, I LOVE THEE

“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

A Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Michigan once related the following incident to a large audience in one of the Rev. E. P. Hammond’s meetings in St. Louis. “A young, talented and tenderhearted actress was passing along the street of a large city. Seeing a pale, sick girl lying upon a couch just within the half-open door of a beautiful dwelling, she entered, with the thought that by her vivacity and pleasant conversation she might cheer the young invalid. The sick girl was a devoted Christian, and her words, her patience, her submission and heaven-lit countenance, so demonstrated the spirit of her religion that the actress was led to give some earnest thought to the claims of Christianity, and was thoroughly converted, and became a true follower of Christ. She told her father, the leader of the theater troupe, of her conversion, and of her desire to abandon the stage, stating that she could not live a consistent Christian life and follow the life of an actress. Her father was astonished beyond measure, and told his daughter that their living would be lost to them and their business ruined, if she persisted in her resolution. Loving her father dearly, she was shaken somewhat in her purpose, and partially consented to fill the published engagement to be met in a few days. She was the star of the troupe, and a general favorite. Every preparation was made for the play in which she was to appear. The evening came and the father rejoiced that he had won back his daughter, and that their living was not to be lost. The hour arrived; a large audience had assembled. The curtain rose, and the young actress stepped forward firmly amid the applause of the multitude. But an unwonted light beamed from her beautiful face. Amid the breathless silence of the audience, she repeated:

‘My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;

For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;

My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.’