God Made Me for Himself

God made me for Himself, to serve Him here
With love’s pure service and in filial fear;
To show His praise, for Him to labor now;
Then see His glory where the angels bow.

All needful grace was mine, through His dear Son,
Whose life and death my full salvation won;
The grace that would have strengthened me, and taught;
Grace that would crown me when my work was wrought.

And I, poor sinner, cast it all away;
Lived for the toil or pleasure of each day;
As if no Christ had shed His precious blood,
As if I owed no homage to my God.

O Holy Spirit, with Thy fire divine,
Melt into tears this thankless heart of mine;
Teach me to love what once I seemed to hate,
And live to God, before it be too late.

Author: Henry W. Baker

Year: 1868

Sir Henry Williams Baker (1821–1877), editor of Hymns Ancient and Modern, wrote both words and music for this hymn. It first appeared in the 1868 Appendix to Hymns Ancient and Modern. No significant alternate attributions exist.