The story
Dates back to a 1782 Christian hymn titled "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" by John Fawcett.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
tie that binds
Today it means: Something shared between two or more people, such as consanguinity, interest, experience, or debt, that causes their relationship with each other to strengthen or to durably resist sundering. Full definition →