Out of My Bondage

Heather Allington

Heather writes for Sunday Song Book on behalf of the The Salvation Army Oshawa. As a lifelong member of the Army, she has loved these familiar - and some less familiar - songs for many years, and enjoys researching and writing about their origins. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired elementary school teacher who likes trying her hand at watercolour painting and poetry writing.

Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy freedom, gladness and light,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of my sickness into Thy health,
Out of my want and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm,
Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress to jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy blessèd will to abide,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love,
Out of despair into raptures above,
Upward for aye on wings like a dove,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the joy and light of Thy Home,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Have you ever felt hopelessly bound or entangled by your circumstances or feelings? This song speaks of so many issues that we need to bring to Jesus in order to find our own freedom. Sometimes it’s hard to just leave it all with Him and sadly, we reclaim our problems.

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When William True Sleeper wrote these lyrics, was he expressing his own failings and feelings, or did he write for the sake of others? Perhaps there was some of both involved. Sleeper was a home missionary and pastor in New England. He sent the words to George Stebbins to have them put to music, Stebbins being a noted Gospel musician of the time. Stebbins not only wrote music, but also played the organ and led congregational singing in services led by evangelist D.L. Moody in the late 19th century. Out of My Bondage was first published in 1887.