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 blessed will to abide,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of my self 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.
William T. Sleeper. 1819-1904
William Sleeper was born at Danbury, New Hampshire, on February 9th, 1819. Educated at Andover Theological Seminary, he became a Congregational minister. After engaging in mission work at Worcester, MA, he was then a home missionary in Maine, where he established three churches. In 1876 he returned to Worcester where he became minister at a Congregational Church, which had been a mission when he served there years earlier and remained there for more than thirty years.
In 1886, Sleeper penned the words for a hymn beginning “Out of my bondage, sorrow, and night,” and sent them to George Stebbins, who produced the tune. The song first appeared in 1887 in Gospel Hymns No. 5, which Stebbins co-edited with Ira D. Sankey.
I first came across this hymn in my paternal grandmother`s Elim Pentecostal Church in Ulster. For years I allowed the negative imagery of the opening of each line to put me off the hymn altogether but I have come to appreciate the incredibly positive message contained at the end of each line.
I had always regarded it as an evangelistic hymn and indeed that was its purpose. But as I approach the latter years of my life and ministry, I`m beginning to see it as a hymn which is about more than just a one-off conversion experience.
It is a prayer which can be offered on a daily basis, especially when one faces challenging situations. I think that it might be appropriate for a funeral and maybe I will even have it at my own.
Please listen to the recording and may it speak to your heart and life today.
Alan Kennedy
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