Thou Who Breakest Every Chain

Thou

who break­est ev­ery chain

Thou

who still art ev­er near

Thou

with whom dis­grace and pain

Turn to joy and heav­en e’en here;

Let Thy fur­ther judg­ments fall

On the Ad­am strong with­in

Till Thy grace hath freed us all

From the pri­son-house of sin.

’Tis Thy Fa­ther’s will to­ward us

Thou shouldst end Thy work at length;

Hence in Thee are cen­tered thus

Perfect wis­dom

love

and strength

That Thou none shouldst lose of those

Whom He gave Thee

though they roam

’Wildered here amid their foes

Thou shouldst bring them safe­ly home.

Ah Thou wilt

Thou can­not cease

Till Thy per­fect work be done;

In Thy hands we lie at peace

Knowing all Thy love hath won

Though the world may blind­ly dream

We are cap­tives poor and base

And the cross’s yoke may deem

Sign of mean­ness and dis­grace.

Look up­on our bonds

and see

How doth all cre­ation groan

’Neath the yoke of van­ity

Make Thy full re­demp­tion known;

Still we wres­tle

cry

and pray

Held in bit­ter bond­age fast

Though the soul would break away

Into high­er things at last.

Lord

we do not ask for rest

For the flesh

we on­ly pray—

Thou wouldst do as seems Thee best

Ere yet comes our part­ing day;

But our spir­it clings to Thee

Will not

dare not

let Thee go

Until Thou have set her free

From the bonds that cause her woe.

Ruler rule

and Con­quer­or con­quer

King as­sert Thy sov­er­eign right

Till there be no slav­ery longer

Spread the king­dom of Thy might!

Lead the cap­tives free­ly out

Through the co­ve­nant of Thy blood

From our dark re­morse and doubt

For Thou wilt alone our good.

’Tis of our own fault

we own

We are slaves to self and sloth

Yet oh leave us not alone

In the liv­ing death we loathe;

Crushed be­neath our bur­den’s weight

Crying at Thy feet we fall

Point the path

though steep and strait

Thou didst op­en once for all.

Ah how dear­ly were we bought

Not to serve the world or sin;

By the work that Thou hast wrought

Must Thou make us pure with­in—

Wholly pure and free

in us

Be Thine im­age now re­stored:

Filled from out Thy full­ness thus

Grace for grace is on us poured.

Draw us to Thy cross

O Love

Crucify with Thee what­e’er

Cannot dwell with Thee above

Lead us to those re­gions fair!

Courage! long the time may seem

Yet His day is com­ing fast;

We shall be like them that dream

When our free­dom dawns at last.