We meekly knock at mercy's gate
by Henry Law. 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. Our only hope is in your unfailing
mercy. Our sins rise higher than the
heavens, but your merits on 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 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 your 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, trusting only in his saving merits. Amen.