Tag piano meditation

HYMNS OF REDEMPTION: There Is a Fountain

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Some hymns comfort the heart, and some cleanse it. There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood does both. This hymn was written by William Cowper. He was a man who knew the depths of despair and the fierce mercy of God. It is not polished or ornamental. It is honest. It is vulnerable. It is the cry of a soul. This soul has discovered that to find cleansing, healing, and hope, one must go to the foot of the cross.

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 in 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. This mercy flows from Christ’s sacrifice. There, they find a hope that cannot be shaken.

Zechariah 13:1 provides our 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

  1. There is a fountain filled with blood
    Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
    And sinners plunged beneath that flood
    Lose all their guilty stains.
  2. The dying thief rejoiced to see
    That fountain in his day;
    And there may I, though vile as he,
    Wash all my sins away.
  3. Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
    Shall never lose its power
    Till all the ransomed Church of God
    Be saved, to sin no more.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 to cleanse, restore, and sustain. Cowper partnered with John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace. Together they produced the Olney Hymns. 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.

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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.