Scripture Verse

The angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. Acts 12:7

Introduction

portrait
Thomas Campbell
(1777–1844)
Wikimedia Commons

Words: Charles We­sley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems (Lon­don: Stra­han, 1739), pag­es 117–19.

Music: Sa­gi­na Tho­mas Camp­bell, Bou­quet 1825 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Origin of the Hymn

Written at Little Bri­tain, in May, 1738, to­ge­ther with the hymn, Where shall my won­der­ing soul be­gin? on the oc­ca­sion of the great spir­it­ual change which C. Wes­ley at that time un­der­went. His di­ary of that date gives mi­nute de­tails of the men­tal and spir­it­ual strug­gles through which he passed, evi­denc­es of which, and the ul­ti­mate tri­umph, are clear­ly trace­able in both hymns.

Julian, p. 64

Lyrics

illustration
St. Peter Freed from Prison
Pier Francesco Mola (1612–1666)

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Sav­ior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pur­sued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mys­te­ry all: th’Im­mor­tal dies:
Who can ex­plore His strange de­sign?
In vain the first­born se­raph tries
To sound the depths of love di­vine.
’Tis mer­cy all! Let earth adore,
Let an­gel minds in­quire no more.
’Tis mer­cy all! Let earth adore;
Let ang­el minds in­quire no more.

He left His Fa­ther’s throne above
So free, so in­fi­nite His grace—
Emptied Him­self of all but love,
And bled for Ad­am’s help­less race:
’Tis mer­cy all, im­mense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mer­cy all, im­mense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my im­pris­oned spir­it lay,
Fast bound in sin and na­ture’s night;
Thine eye diff­used a quick­en­ing ray—
I woke, the dun­geon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and fol­lowed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and fol­lowed Thee.

Still the small in­ward voice I hear,
That whis­pers all my sins for­giv­en;
Still the aton­ing blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hos­tile Hea­ven.
I feel the life His wounds im­part;
I feel the Sav­ior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds im­part;
I feel the Sav­ior in my heart.

No con­dem­na­tion now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my liv­ing head,
And clothed in right­eous­ness di­vine,
Bold I ap­proach th’eter­nal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I ap­proach th’eter­nal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.