We meekly knock at mercy's gate
(Henry Law, "Family Prayers")
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"All of us have become like something unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities
carry us away like the wind!" Isaiah 64:6
Holy FATHER, Almighty GOD,
We feel our weakness, our ignorance,
our deep corruptions. We meekly
knock at mercy's gate.
Regard us in tender love--
for JESUS' sake.
Bend down YOUR ear--
and grant YOUR smile.
We are blind--
be our light.
We are ignorant--
be our wisdom.
We are steeped in selfishness--
pluck all SELF out of us.
In the deep sense of our guilt,
we fly for refuge into
the wounded side of JESUS!
Be merciful, be merciful unto us--
whose only hope is in YOUR
unfailing mercy.
Our sins rise higher than the heavens--
but YOUR merits in our behalf surpass
the very heaven of heavens!
Our unrighteousness would
weigh us down to hell--
but YOUR glorious righteousness
exalts us to YOUR heavenly throne!
All things in us call for our damnation--
but all things in YOU demand
our forgiveness.
We appeal, then, from YOUR
throne of perfect justice--
to YOUR throne of boundless grace!
Blessed JESUS, we hide ourselves in
the sure covert of Your wrath-
appeasing wounds!
Grant us to hear YOUR voice assuring us:
that by YOUR stripes we are healed;
that YOU have been bruised for our iniquities;
that YOU have been made sin for us--
that we might have YOUR divine righteousness;
and that all our vile and grievous iniquities,
are forgiven and buried in the ocean
of YOUR sin-concealing blood!
We are guilty--
yet pardoned!
We are lost in ourselves--
yet fully saved in YOU!
Enable us to cling firmly to YOUR cross--
even as we now seek safety and repose
beneath its sin-atoning shelter!
Let floods of sustaining grace from
YOUR inexhaustible treasury, enrich
our poor and weary souls.
If the enemy approaches, quicken
our steps to flee into the wounds
of JESUS as our sure refuge!
Sheltered in the ark of safety, may
we cease to tremble at all alarms.
May YOU our good SHEPHERD lead us
this day into the green pastures of HIS
refreshing Word, and cause us to lie down
beside the rivers of YOUR divine comforts.
These prayers we humbly offer
in the name of JESUS CHRIST, and
trusting only in HIS saving merits.
Amen.
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Here is another uplifting hymn from Annie Johnson Flint,
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