Tag Hymns of Redemption

4 Hymns of Redemption— There Is a Fountain

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

There is a Fountain

Some hymns comfort the heart, and some cleanse it. There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood does both. William Cowper, a man who knew the depths of despair and the fierce mercy of God, wrote this hymn. It is not polished or ornamental. It is honest. It is vulnerable. It is the cry of a soul. The soul has discovered that the only place to find cleansing is at the foot of the cross. It also finds healing there. Hope is found at the foot of the cross too.

Cowper’s words are not theoretical. They rise from a life marked by suffering, doubt, and repeated battles with darkness. And yet, out of that struggle came a powerful declaration of grace. It stands as one of the most profound in all of hymnody. The blood of Christ is not merely symbolic. It is effective, cleansing, restoring, and sufficient. This hymn does not shy away from the cost of redemption. It invites the believer to step into the stream of mercy that flows from Christ’s sacrifice. In that stream, they find a hope that cannot be shaken.

Zechariah 13:1 gives us the anchor:
“On that day there shall be a fountain opened… to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”
Cowper takes this ancient promise to the foot of Calvary. He reminds us that the fountain is not a metaphor. It is the very life of Christ poured out for us.

As you listen to the piano meditation, let this hymn wash over you. Let it remind you that grace is not fragile. Mercy is not scarce. The cleansing love of Christ is deeper than your failures and stronger than your fears. Let this be a moment of renewal.

Hymn Lyrics: There Is A Fountain

(Public Domain)

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed Church of God
Be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme
And shall be till I die.

When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song
I’ll sing Thy power to save.

Audio Meditation


Let the music draw you into the cleansing, renewing mercy of Christ.

About the Hymnwriter

William Cowper (1731-1800) was a poet of extraordinary sensitivity and depth. His life was marked by profound emotional struggle, yet out of that struggle came hymns of remarkable clarity and hope. There Is a Fountain is one of his greatest works. It is a hymn that testifies to the power of Christ’s blood. This power can cleanse, restore, and sustain. Cowper partnered with John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace. They produced the Olney Hymns, a collection. This collection has shaped Christian worship for generations. His words remind us that God often brings the richest truth out of the deepest valleys.

Benedictional Prayer

May the cleansing love of Christ wash over your heart today.
May His mercy quiet every fear and lift every burden.
May His grace renew your hope and strengthen your steps.
And may the fountain of His salvation flow through every part of your life.
Amen.

Hymns of Redemption: Week 2

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

There are hymns that lift the heart. There are hymns that teach the mind. There are hymns that quietly draw the soul into the presence of Christ. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross is one of the rare hymns that does all three at once. Isaac Watts wrote it not as a theological argument. Instead, he wrote it as an act of beholding — a slow, reverent gaze at the crucified Savior. The hymn does not rush. It does not dramatize. It simply invites the believer to stand before the cross and let its meaning settle deeply and personally.

This is a hymn of surrender. Not forced surrender, but willing surrender — the kind that rises from love rather than fear. Watts leads us through the recognition that the cross strips away pride, ambition, and self‑reliance. It reveals the immeasurable cost of grace and the immeasurable love that paid it. The hymn’s simplicity is its strength. It does not overwhelm the heart; it opens it. It does not shout; it whispers. And in that whisper, the believer hears the call to lay everything at the feet of Christ.

Galatians 6:14 gives us the anchor. It states:
“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
Watts presents this truth clearly. His clarity has endured for centuries. The cross is not merely the place where Christ died. It is the place where the believer’s life is redefined.

As you listen to the piano meditation, let this hymn draw your gaze back to the One who gave everything. Let the stillness of the music become a place of reflection, gratitude, and renewed devotion. Let the cross quiet your heart and steady your steps.

Hymn Lyrics: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

(Public Domain)

  1. When I survey the wondrous cross
    On which the Prince of glory died,
    My richest gain I count but loss,
    And pour contempt on all my pride.
  2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
    Save in the death of Christ my God;
    All the vain things that charm me most,
    I sacrifice them to His blood.
  3. See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
    Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
    Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
    Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
  4. His dying crimson, like a robe,
    Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
    Then I am dead to all the globe,
    And all the globe is dead to me.
  5. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
    That were a present far too small;
    Love so amazing, so divine,
    Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Audio Meditation


Let the music guide your heart into a quiet place of surrender and awe before the cross.

Copyright Temple Music Productions 2024:

About the Hymnwriter

Isaac Watts (1674–1748) is often called the “Father of English Hymnody,” and When I Survey the Wondrous Cross is widely considered his masterpiece. Written for a Communion service in 1707, the hymn reflects Watts’ gift for combining theological depth with personal devotion. His words are simple, but they carry a weight that has endured across centuries. The hymn’s focus on surrender and humility has made it beloved. The transforming power of Christ’s sacrifice also contributes to its enduring appeal as a Passion hymn in the Christian tradition.

Benediction Prayer

May the cross of Christ steady your heart today.
May His love quiet every anxious thought.
May His sacrifice draw you into deeper gratitude and deeper trust.
And may the One who gave Himself for you shape your steps in grace and peace.
Amen.

HYMNS OF REDEMPTION

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

A Passover – Season Devotional Series

Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Some hymns teach doctrine. Some stir emotion. But Tell Me the Story of Jesus does something deeper. It invites the believer to return to the center of the faith with childlike wonder. Written by Fanny Crosby, this hymn is a gentle, earnest request: Tell me again. Tell me slowly. Tell me like it’s the first time.

Crosby understood something profound: the gospel is not a story we outgrow. It is the story that shapes every other story. Her words carry the simplicity of a child and the depth of a saint. She doesn’t ask for theological complexity or poetic flourish. She asks for Jesus — His birth, His life, His suffering, His love. The hymn is a reminder that the heart never tires of hearing the truth that saves it.

The anchor comes from Luke 2:10:

“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Crosby takes that angelic announcement and turns it into a lifelong prayer: Tell me the good news again. Let it steady me. Let it shape me. Let it fill me with joy.

As you listen to the meditation, you will hear the Irish flute, the accordion, and the acoustic guitar. You will also hear the shaker and the piano. Let it carry you like a traveling song. Let it feel like walking the dusty roads of Galilee. It feels like hearing the story of Jesus told around a fire. The story is passed from heart to heart.

This hymn is not about performance. It’s about remembrance.

Hymn and Lyrics: Tell Me the Story of Jesus

(Public Domain)

1
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word;
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels in chorus
Sang as they welcomed His birth,
“Glory to God in the highest!
Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Refrain
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word;
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.

2
Fasting alone in the desert,
Tell of the days that are past;
How for our sins He was tempted,
Yet was triumphant at last.
Tell of the years of His labor,
Tell of the sorrow He bore;
He was despised and afflicted,
Homeless, rejected, and poor.

3
Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,
Writhing in anguish and pain;
Tell of the grave where they laid Him,
Tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender,
Clearer than ever I see;
Stay, let me weep while you whisper,
Love paid the ransom for me.

About the Hymnwriter

Fanny J. Crosby (1820–1915) was more than a hymnwriter. She was a messenger of Christ’s love to people most of society overlooked. Though blind from infancy, she walked with confidence. She stepped into New York’s rescue missions, tenement halls, and shelters. These were places where the poor, the addicted, and the forgotten gathered. She didn’t go to change systems; she went to tell people about Jesus. Her ministry was personal, face‑to‑face, heart‑to‑heart.

Her hymns were born from that same posture. Crosby never wrote by force or routine. She prayed until the Lord gave her the theme, the tone, and the words. Only then would she begin dictating the lyrics. Tell Me the Story of Jesus reflects both sides of her calling. She was the evangelist who longed for every soul to hear the gospel. She was also the prayer-soaked believer who wanted the story of Christ written on her own heart again and again.

Benediction Prayer

May the story of Jesus rest fresh on your heart today.
May His birth bring you joy, His life give you strength,
His suffering draw you near, and His resurrection fill you with hope.
And may the sweetest story ever told become the anchor of your soul.
Amen.