The Castle of the Human Heart

The castle of the hu­man heart

Strong in its na­tive sin

Is guard­ed well

in ev­ery part

By him who dwells with­in.

For Sa­tan there

in arms

re­sides

And calls the place his own;

With care against as­saults pro­vides

And rules

as on a throne.

Each trai­tor thought on him

as chief

In blind obe­di­ence waits;

And pride

self-will

and un­be­lief

Are post­ed at the gates.

Thus Sa­tan for a sea­son reigns

And keeps his goods in peace;

The soul is pleased to wear his chains

Nor wish­es a re­lease.

But Je­sus

strong­er far than he

In His ap­point­ed hour

Appears

to set His peo­ple free

From the usurp­er’s pow­er.

This heart I bought with blood

He says

And now it shall be Mine.

His voice the strong one armed dis­mays

He knows he must re­sign.

In spite of un­be­lief and pride

And self

and Sa­tan’s art;

The gates of brass fly op­en wide

And Je­sus wins the heart.

The re­bel soul that once with­stood

The Sav­ior’s kind­est call;

Rejoices now

by grace sub­dued

To serve Him with her all.