Tag Public Domain Hymns

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

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.

WEDNESDAY WORSHIP — Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

There is a reason this 12th‑century hymn still feels fresh. It speaks to the quiet places of the soul where the name of Jesus is not merely remembered but cherished. In a world that trains us to react, hurry, and brace ourselves, this hymn slows the heart. It reminds us that the very thought of Christ carries a sweetness the world cannot manufacture and a peace the world cannot steal.

John 16:33 anchors that truth: “In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” The hymn doesn’t pretend life is gentle. It simply insists that Jesus is greater. His presence becomes the steadying force beneath every storm, the joy that rises even when circumstances don’t change, and the rest that settles over a weary mind. The hymn’s language of sweetness and gladness isn’t poetic exaggeration — it’s the lived experience of those who have discovered Christ as their peace.

As you listen to the piano rendition below, let it become a moment of stillness. Let the melody lift your attention toward the One who has already overcome the world. Let the name of Jesus — spoken, whispered, or simply remembered — become the place where your heart rests today.

Hymn Lyrics: Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee

(Public Domain)

1.
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.

2.
Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find
A sweeter sound than Jesus’ Name,
The Savior of mankind.

3.
O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art;
How good to those who seek.

4.
But what to those who find? Ah, this
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus — what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

5.
Jesus, our only joy be Thou,
As Thou our prize wilt be;
Jesus, be Thou our glory now,
And through eternity.

Audio Meditation

Take a moment to breathe, quiet your heart, and listen to this piano meditation on the hymn.

Jesus the Very Thought of Thee: Whispers of Worship: Hymns from the Piano Bench

About the Hymnwriter

This hymn is traditionally attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th‑century monk known for his deep devotion to Christ and his gift for writing that stirred the heart toward worship. Bernard wasn’t interested in fame or poetry for its own sake; he wrote out of a life shaped by prayer, humility, and a longing for the presence of Jesus. His words have endured for centuries because they carry the fragrance of someone who truly loved the Lord.

Benedictional Prayer

May the name of Jesus steady your heart today. May His peace meet you in the places where life feels heavy, and may His joy rise quietly within you like a light that cannot be dimmed. As you go, may the very thought of Christ draw you into deeper rest, deeper trust, and deeper love. And may the One who has overcome the world keep you in His perfect peace, now and always. Amen.