Scripture Verse

And yet there is room. Luke 14:22

Introduction

portrait
Robert Lowry (1826–1899)

Words: Ur­an­ia L. Bai­ley, in Pure Gold, ed­it­ed by Ro­bert Low­ry & W. How­ard Doane (New York: Big­low & Main, 1871), num­ber 51.

Music: Ro­bert Low­ry (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Urania L. Bailey (1820–1882)

Anecdote

While we were hold­ing meet­ings in Bos­ton [Mas­sa­chu­setts], in 1876, Mr. Moo­dy was en­ter­tained by one of the lead­ing law­yers of the ci­ty, who fre­quent­ly be­fore the meet­ings would ask what so­lo I had se­lect­ed.

If I had none, he would say: Please sing, The mis­takes of my life have been ma­ny; for one of the great­est mis­takes I have ev­er made was to ig­nore God in all my af­fairs. But at last he took away my on­ly child, a be­loved son. That led me to the feet of Je­sus, and I bowed to kiss the hand that had laid the rod up­on me. Then I told the Lord that I would de­vote my for­tune to his ser­vice. In keep­ing with that prom­ise I erect­ed a col­lege for young wo­men, lo­cat­ed at Well­es­ley Lake, near Bos­ton.

This good man has now passed on to his re­ward. Short­ly be­fore he died, Mr. Moo­dy and I pur­chased a per­pe­tu­al schol­ar­ship in Well­es­ley Col­lege, as a prize to be sought af­ter by the young wo­men of North­field Se­mi­na­ry [Mas­sa­chu­setts].

Sankey, pp. 266–67

Lyrics

The mis­takes of my life have been ma­ny,
The sins of my heart have been more,
And I scarce can see for weep­ing,
But I’ll knock at the op­en door.

Refrain

I know I am weak and sin­ful,
It comes to me more and more;
But when the dear Sav­ior shall bid me come in,
I’ll en­ter the op­en door.

I am low­est of those who love Him,
I am weak­est of those who pray;
But I come as He has bid­den,
And He will not say me nay.

Refrain

My mis­takes His free grace will cover,
My sins He will wash away,
And the feet that can shrink and fal­ter
Shall walk thro’ the gates of day.

Refrain

The mis­takes of my life have been ma­ny,
And my spir­it is sick with sin,
And I scarce can see for weep­ing,
But the Sav­ior will let me in.

Refrain