How Blessèd, from the Bonds of Sin

How bless­èd

from the bonds of sin

And earth­ly fet­ters free

In sin­gle­ness of heart and aim

Thy serv­ant

Lord

to be;

The hard­est toil to un­der­take

With joy at Thy com­mand

The mean­est of­fice to re­ceive

With meek­ness at Thy hand.

With will­ing heart and long­ing eyes

To watch be­fore Thy gate

Ready to run the wea­ry race

To bear the hea­vy weight;

No voice of thun­der to ex­pect

But fol­low calm and still;

For love can ea­si­ly di­vine

The One Be­lov­èd’s will.

Thus may I serve Thee

gra­cious Lord;

Thus ev­er Thine alone

My soul and body giv­en to Thee

The pur­chase Thou hast won;

Through ev­il or through good re­port

Still keep­ing by Thy side;

And by my life or by my death

Let Christ be mag­ni­fied.

How hap­pi­ly the work­ing days

In this dear serv­ice fly

How ra­pid­ly the clos­ing hour

The time of rest

draws nigh

When all the faith­ful ga­ther home

A joy­ful com­pa­ny;

And ev­er where the Mas­ter is

Shall His blest serv­ants be.