Wash Me, Gracious Lord by John
Macduff from Evening Incense, 1856 O my God, I desire to approach
the footstool of your throne of grace. Glory be to your holy
name, that I can enjoy freedom of access into your presence,
and, with the confidence of your child, unburden and unbosom to
you all my needs and sins, all my sorrows and infirmities, all
my perplexities and cares. Lord, how unworthy I am of the
least of all your mercies! What righteous cause have you
to cut me down as a cumberer of the ground? How cold my love,
how infrequent my prayers! How full is my heart of pride
and vain glory, self and sin! How little have I habitually
realized your nearness! and sought your favor as my chief
good. There is enough of coldness and
formality in my best approaches to your footstool to lead you
in your wrath to spurn me forever away. Let me see all my sin in
the light of Calvary's cross. I cast myself as a worthless,
unworthy sinner at the feet of Jesus. I need daily, hourly washing
at that fountain which he has opened for sin and for uncleanness. Wash me, gracious Lord, fully,
freely, and for ever. Let me know the blessedness of
no condemnation. I come, with all the great burden
of my great guilt, to my great Saviour. I seek to bring the
unrighteousness of an unworthy creature to the infinite righteousness
and everlasting faithfulness of my loving Redeemer. You have
borne with all my obstinacy, all my perverseness and waywardness
and ingratitude, I am at this hour the monument of a divine
love, as wondrous as it is undeserved. Where would I have been, blessed
Jesus, but for you? All that I am, and all I have,
I owe to your free, sovereign, unmerited grace. Whom have I
in heaven but you? And there is none in all the
earth I desire besides you. You alone can fill up the aching
voids of my heart. In vain can I look to a transient
world or to the perishable creature for solid peace and permanent
enjoyment. You are the only refuge for my
sin-stricken, woe-worn spirit. I rejoice in the inexhaustible
riches treasured up in you, that your fullness is adequate to
supply all my necessities, and out of that fullness I may still
continue receiving. And that forever and ever. you