Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat

Part of my normal devotional time includes reading, singing, and/or meditating on hymn texts that I have not read before. This morning, I came across a text by John Newton, famed 18th century author of "Amazing Grace," but who also wrote a tremendous amount of other enriching hymn texts. The following is a text about prayer that I commend for your meditation today.

Approach, my soul, the mercy seat,

Where Jesus answers pray'r;

There humbly fall before His feet,

For none can perish there.

Thy promise is my only plea,

With this I venture nigh;

Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,

And such, O Lord, am I.

Bowed down beneath a load of sin,

By Satan sorely pressed,

By wars without, and fears within,

I come to Thee for rest.

Be Thou my shield and hiding place,

That, sheltered near thy side,

I may my fierce accuser face,

And tell him, "Thou hast died."

O wondrous love, to bleed and die,

To bear the cross and shame,

That guilty sinners such as I,

Might plead Thy gracious name.

"Poor tempest-tossed soul, be still,

My promised grace receive;"

'Tis Jesus speaks; I must, I will,

I can, I do believe.