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Updated 09/04/2020

 

Jesus, I Come


 William Sleeper

The lyrics to “Jesus, I Come” were written by William Sleeper (1819-1904). Sleeper at­tend­ed Phill­ips-Ex­e­ter Acad­e­my, the Un­i­ver­si­ty of Ver­mont, and the An­do­ver The­o­lo­gic­al Sem­in­a­ry. Af­ter or­din­a­tion, he con­duct­ed home min­is­try work in Mass­a­chu­setts and Maine. He lat­er be­came pas­tor of the Sum­mer Street Con­gre­ga­tion­al Church in Wor­ces­ter, Mass­a­chu­setts, where he served over 30 years.

The melody was composed by George C. Stebbins (1846-1945) – a gospel songs writer. Stebbins was born February 26, 1846, in Orleans County, New York, where he spent the first 23 years of his life on a farm. In 1869 he moved to Chicago, Illinois, which marked the beginning of his musical career.

Stebbins became the musical director of Chicago's First Baptist Church in 1870, a position he held till the autumn of 1874, when he resigned to take up residence in Boston. During his residence in Chicago he became acquainted with Dwight L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey and also with Philip Paul Bliss and Major D. W. Whittle, both of whom early joined the great evangelistic movement.
George C. Stebbins

Stebbins was well equipped in the musical department of his work, as well as in the others, for he studied voice with some of the most celebrated teachers in the United States. Much as his voice was heard in different parts of the world, he is remembered foremost by the music which he composed, which has long survived him and demonstrated an appeal across time and cultural boundaries. Stebbins' lasting legacy, the hymns that have become gospel music classics. Among those are Jesus Is Calling, Jesus I Come, Have Thine Own Way, Lord, and Take Time to Be Holy.


Lyrics by William Sleeper

  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 myself 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.