My dear Jesus I'll not leave

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My dear Jesus I'll not leave

Author: Christian Keimann
Tune: [Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht] (Darmstadt)
Published in 13 hymnals

Piano/Organ
	Five Advent Hymn Improvisations, Set 2

Representative Text

1 My dear Jesus I'll not leave,
Who for me Himself has given;
Therefore, unto Him I'll cleave,
Nor from Him be ever driven;
Life from Him doth light receive;
My dear Jesus I'll not leave.

2 Jesus I will never leave,
While on earth I am abiding;
My full trust He shall receive;
What I have, without dividing,
All to Him I freely give;
My dear Jesus I'll not leave.

3 Though my eyesight pass away,
Hearing, taste and feeling fail me;
Though the earth's last light of day
Shall o'ertake and sore assail me;
E'en when my last sigh I heave
My dear Jesus I'll not leave.

4 Nor will I my Jesus leave
When at length I shall come thither
Where His saints He will receive,
That in bliss they live together;
Endless joy to me He'll give;--
My dear Jesus I'll not leave.

5 Not for earth's vain joys I crave,
Not for heaven's glorious pleasure;
Jesus who my soul did save
Shall be my Desire and Treasure:
He redemption did achieve;--
My dear Jesus I'll not leave.

6 Jesus I shall never leave,
To His side still firmly clinging.
Christ leads all who Him receive
To life's waters ever springing.
Blessed they who to Him cleave!--
My dear Jesus I'll not leave.

Source: Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #88

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Author: Christian Keimann

Keimann, Christian, son of Zacharias Keimann, Lutheran pastor at Pankratz, in Bohemia, and after 1616 at Ober-Ullersdorf, was born at Pankratz, Feb. 27, 1607. In the autumn of 1627 he entered the University of Wittenberg, where he graduated M.A., March 19, 1634; and in the next month was appointed by the Town Council of Zittau as Conrector of their Gymnasium, of which he became Rector in 1638. He died at Zittau, Jan. 13, 1662 (Koch, iii. 369; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie xv. 535, &c). Keimann was a distinguished teacher. He was the author of a number of scholastic publications, of a few Scriptural plays, and of some 13 hymns. Almost all of his hymns came into church use. They take high rank among those of the 17th century, being of gen… Go to person page >

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