I have set before thee an open door.
Revelation 3:8
Words: Oswald Allen, Hymns of the Christian Life (London: Nisbet, 1861), page 102.
Music: Blairgowrie John B. Dykes, 1872 (🔊 pdf nwc).
Alternate Tune:
If you know where to get a good picture of Allen (head & shoulders, at least 200×300 pixels),
Today Thy mercy calls me
To wash away my sin;
However great my trespass,
Whate’er I may have been;
However long from mercy
I may have turned away,
Thy blood, O Christ, can cleanse me,
And make me white today.
Today Thy gate is open,
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome,
And pardon for their sin;
The past shall be forgotten,
A present joy be given;
A future grace be promised,
A glorious crown in Heav’n.
Today the Father calls me,
The Holy Spirit waits,
The blessèd angels gather
Around the heav’nly gates;
No question will be asked me,
How often I have come;
Although I oft have wandered,
It is my Father’s home.
O all embracing mercy,
Thou ever open door,
What shall I do without thee
When heart and eyes run o’er?
When all things seem against me,
To drive me to despair,
I know one gate is open,
One ear will hear my prayer.