Scripture Verse

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1

Introduction

portrait
Ellen O. Van Fleet (1842–1893)

Words: El­len O. Van Fleet, in Gos­pel Bells, ed­it­ed by Otis F. Pres­brey, John W. Bisch­off & Je­re­mi­ah E. Ran­kin (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: West­ern Sun­day School Pub­lishing, 1880), num­ber 85. Some hym­nals give the au­thor as El­len Ol­iv­er, Van Fleet’s mai­den name.

Music: E. B. Smith (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Smith’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), or a bet­ter one of Van Fleet,

Lyrics

The door of God’s mer­cy is open,
To all who are wea­ry of sin.
And Je­sus is pa­tient­ly wait­ing,
Still waiting, to wel­come you in.

Refrain

Come, says the Sav­ior, come en­ter the gate;
I watch by the po­rtals both ear­ly and late,
Lest some pre­cious soul, not far from the goal,
Should wan­der away into dark­ness and hate,
And miss it for­ev­er, the pear­ly gate.

The world is e’er wan­ton­ly woo­ing
Your soul from the ways of the blest;
But Je­sus is ten­der­ly bid­ding
You turn to His hea­ven­ly rest.

Refrain

So ma­ny who hear the glad mes­sage
Will ne­ver its man­dates ob­ey,
But turn from the pre­cious, dear plead­ings,
And will­ful­ly wan­der away.

Refrain

Sad hearts there will sure­ly be mourn­ing
Outside of the gate­way of life,
And pray­ing to Him they re­ject­ed
When earth with gay plea­sures was rife.

Refrain

The door of God’s mer­cy is op­en,
Invitingly op­en to all
Who list to the voice of the Mas­ter,
And hear­ing shall heed His sweet call.

Refrain