You Should Love This One

My friend the UndergroundPewster did an interesting posting on "Christian Maintenance" in which the subject of losing, finding, and maintaining our first love, that love for God, was the primary theme. Our love can never match His, nor can our words ever hope to express this love. Of all the hymns that might relate to this notion, this is the first that came to mind.

"The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his,
And he is mine for ever.

Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul he leadeth,
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love he sought me,
And on his shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill
With thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread'st a table in my sight;
Thy unction grace bestoweth;
And O what transport of delight
From thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never:
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house for ever."

Sir Henry Williams Baker 1821-1877

"Baker was the son of Vice Ad­mir­al Hen­ry Lo­raine Bak­er. He at­tend­ed Trin­i­ty Coll­ege at Cam­bridge, was or­dained in 1844, and be­came as­sist­ant cur­ate at Great Hock­es­ley, near Col­ches­ter, Es­sex. In 1851, he be­came Vic­ar of Monk­land Pri­ory Church in Here­ford­shire, Eng­land, where he served most of his life. Up­on his fa­ther’s death in 1859, Bak­er as­sumed the fam­i­ly bar­o­net­cy. From 1860 to 1877, he was ed­it­or-in-chief of the An­gl­ican Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, and con­tri­but­ed hymns, tunes, and trans­la­tions. This his­tor­ic hym­nal sold 60 mil­lion co­pies."

(From Cyberhymnal posted at Hymnary).