Scripture Verse

Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope. Zechariah 9:12

Introduction

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Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems 1749.

Music: Dia­de­ma­ta George J. El­vey, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1868 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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George Elvey (1816–1893)
National Portrait Gallery

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Lyrics

Prisoners of hope, arise,
And see your Lord ap­pear;
Lo! on the wings of love He flies,
And brings re­demp­tion near!
Redemption in His blood
He calls you to re­ceive:
Come un­to Me, the par­don­ing God.
Believe,
He cries, be­lieve!

The re­con­cil­ing word,
We thank­ful­ly em­brace;
Rejoice in our re­deem­ing Lord,
A blood be­sprink­led race:
We yield to be set free,
Thy coun­sel we ap­prove;
Salvation, praise, as­cribe to Thee,
And glo­ry in Thy love.

Jesus, to Thee we look,
Till saved from sin’s re­mains;
Reject the in­bred ty­rant’s yoke,
And cast away his chains:
Our na­ture shall no more
O’er us do­min­ion have;
By faith we ap­pre­hend the pow­er
Which shall for­ev­er save.

In sure and stead­fast hope
To be re­deemed be­low,
On to the ho­ly mount­ain’s top
We all ex­ult­ing go:
We shall the prize re­ceive,
We shall be all re­newed,
Regain Thine im­age here, and live
The sin­less life of God.