Scripture Verse

I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20

Introduction

portrait
Johnson Oatman, Jr.
1856–1922

Words: John­son Oat­man, Jr., in Songs of Love and Praise No. 4, ed­it­ed by John R. Swe­ney, Hen­ry L. Gil­mour & How­ard Ent­wisle (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: John J. Hood, 1897), num­ber 14.

Music: J. How­ard Ent­wisle (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Ent­wisle (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), or a bet­ter one of Oat­man,

Lyrics

A hand all bruised and bleed­ing
Is knock­ing at the door,
Is knock­ing at the door of your heart;
It is the hand of Je­sus,
Who long has knocked be­fore,
Though oft you have told Him to de­part.

Refrain

O don’t you hear Him knock­ing,
Knocking at the door?
He’s knock­ing at the door to come in;
He wants an in­vi­ta­tion
To cross your thresh­old o’er,
Then Je­sus will save you from all sin.

How oft­en when in sick­ness,
Your body racked with pain,
This knock­ing re­sound­ed in your ears;
How oft­en in the night­time
The knock would come again,
So loud it would fill your soul with fears.

Refrain

While stand­ing by the cas­ket
Of some de­parte­d friend,
With sor­row your heart was sick and sore;
What caused that train of think­ing
Of how your life would end?
That hand was then knock­ing at the door.

Refrain

Why will you keep Him knock­ing?
Why don’t you let Him in?
He’ll fill your path­way with de­light;
That hand so torn and bleed­ing
Will wash away your sin;
O welcome the Sav­ior in to­night!

Refrain