There is a Fountain By William Cowper

• The Song

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

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he,
washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he,
washed 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.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
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.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.

• The Author

William Cowper (pronounced “Cooper”), was born on November 15, 1731, in England. The poet’s mother died when he was six and Cowper was sent to Dr. Pittman’s boarding school.  In 1748, he enrolled in the Middle Temple in order to pursue a law degree. Cowper, whose father was chaplain to King George II, went through the motions of becoming an attorney, but never practiced law.

In 1763, he accepted a clerkship of the journals in the House of Lords. A rival faction, however, challenged his appointment and the ordeal caused Cowper to enter Nathaniel Cotton’s Collegium Insanorum at St. Albans. While there he converted to Evangelicalism. In 1765, he moved to Huntingdon and then to the town of Olney in 1768. While there Cowper became close friends with the Evangelical clergyman John Newton; together they co-authored the Olney Hymns, which was first published in 1779 and included Newton’s famous hymn “Amazing Grace.” Of the 68 hymns Cowper wrote, “Oh for a closer walk with God” and “God moves in a mysterious way” are the most well-known.

In 1773, Cowper became engaged, but he suffered another attack of madness. He had terrible nightmares, believing that God has rejected him. Cowper would never again enter a church or say a prayer. In spite of periods of acute depression, the latter part of Cowper’s life was marked by great achievement as poet, hymn-writer, and letter-writer. His first volume of poetry, Poems by William Cowper, of the Inner Temple was published in 1782 to wide acclaim.

William Cowper died of dropsy on April 25, 1800. At the time of his death, his Poems had already reached their tenth printing.  He also wrote poetry, including “The Negro’s Complaint,” an anti-slavery work, and the 5,000-line “The Task.”

• The Song

Nothing But the Blood

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Chorus

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

• The Author

Robert Lowry

Born in Philadelphia, on March 12, 1826, young Robert accepted Christ as his personal Savior at the age of 17 and later graduated from Bucknell University with high scholastic honors.  In the 73 years of his life here on earth, he pastored churches in Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City and Brooklyn.   Along with his preaching, Dr. Lowry also had the gift of music in the writing of hymns.  When asked about his method for writing songs, he would answer by saying:  “I have no set method.  Sometimes, the music comes and the words follow, I watch my moods, and when anything strikes me, whether words or music, no matter where I am, at home or on the street, I jot it down.  My brain is sort of a spinning machine, for there is music running through it all the time.  The tunes of nearly all the hymns I have written have been completed on paper, before I tried them on the organ. Frequently, the words of the hymn and the music have been written at the same time.”

He supplied the music for such familiar hymns as We’re Marching to Zion, Savior, Thy Dying Love, Where Is my Wandering Boy Tonight, I Need Thee Every Hour and Fanny Crosby’s song, All the Way my Savior Leads Me.  The words and music would come together in 1864 to produce Shall We Gather at the River.   Then, in the Easter season of 1874, Christ Arose would flow from his pen and his heart.   Finally, in 1876, Pastor Lowry would give us the answer to our sin debt in his song, Nothing but the Blood.

Down through the ages, man has tried to work off his sin debt in good works and religion only to fail.   The Bible says, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)   Robert Lowry understood this very well.

• The Song

We Will Understand It Better By And By

We are often tossed and driven
on the restless sea of time;
Somber skies and howling tempests
oft succeed a bright sunshine;
In that land of perfect day,
when the mists have rolled away,
We will understand it better by and by.

By and by, when the morning comes,
When the saints of God are gathered home,
We’ll tell the story how we’ve overcome,
For we’ll understand it better by and by.

We are often destitute of the things that life demands,
Want of food and want of shelter,
thirsty hills and barren lands;
We are trusting in the Lord, and according to God’s Word,
We will understand it better by and by.

Trials dark on every hand, and we cannot understand
All the ways that God could lead us
to that blessed promised land;
But He guides us with His eye, and we’ll follow till we die,
For we’ll understand it better by and by.

Temptations, hidden snares often take us unawares,
And our hearts are made to bleed
for a thoughtless word or deed;
And we wonder why the test when we try to do our best,
But we’ll understand it better by and by

• The Author

Charles Albert Tindley
Rev. Dr. Charles Albert Tindley (July 7, 1851, Berlin, Maryland,  – July 26, 1933) was an American Methodist minister and gospel music composer.  Often referred to as “The Prince of Preachers”, he educated himself, became a minister and founded one of the largest Methodist congregations serving the African-American community on the East Coast of the United States. The Tindley Temple United Methodist Church in Philadelphia was named for him.

Tindley’s father was a slave, but his mother was free. Tindley himself was thus considered to be free, but even so he grew up among slaves. After the Civil War, he moved to Philadelphia.  God had placed within Tindley a desire to excel, and by age seventeen he had taught himself to read and write. At this young age he married Daisy Henry, who bore him eight children, several of whom would later show some musical ability. The young Tindley family moved to Philadelphia where Charles obtained a job as a hod carrier, conveying mortar and other supplies to bricklayers. He later became a custodian of the John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church, a church that was to play a major role in his life.

He attended night school for a time, and because he felt called of God to preach, he enrolled in a correspondence course from Boston School of Theology. Along with his other courses, he studied New Testament Greek. He also found a Jewish rabbi in Philadelphia who would tutor him in the study of Hebrew. In 1902, he became pastor of the church where he had served as janitor 25 years earlier.  The church experienced rapid growth and by 1906 had a congregation of five thousand members. Tindley’s sermons reflected his study and attention to a quality ministry. He was an eloquent speaker who was heard enthusiastically by people of all races.  In the early 1920s, the church built a new sanctuary and the congregation named the new church the Tindley Temple United Methodist Church. Tindley also became a leader within the denomination. His wife, Daisy, passed away in 1924, the very day the congregation entered the new sanctuary for the first time. Three years later, Tindley remarried.

Tindley was a noted songwriter and composer of gospel hymns and is recognized as one of the founding fathers of American gospel music. Five of his hymns appear in the revised Methodist hymnal, which is used worldwide.  His composition “I’ll Overcome Someday” is credited by some observers to be the basis for the U.S. Civil Rights anthem “We Shall Overcome,”.  Tindley was the first hymn writer to have a hymn copyrighted.  He never intended for his songs to be sung in formal worship services, but rather on informal occasions.  He published a hymn collection in 1916, titled New Songs Of Paradise.

• The Song

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us

How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
(REPEAT)

• The Author

Stuart Townend

Stuart Townend is a British Christian worship leader and writer of hymns and contemporary worship music.   His songs include “In Christ Alone” (2002, cowritten with Keith Getty, Townend’s first collaboration with any other songwriter), “How Deep The Father’s Love For Us”, “Beautiful Saviour” and “The King Of Love”.  The Christian website Crosswalk.com commented that, “the uniqueness of Townend’s writing lies partly in its lyrical content.   There is both a theological depth and poetic expression that some say is rare in today’s worship writing”.

Townend, son of a Church of England vicar in Halifax, West Yorkshire, was the youngest of four children.   He studied literature at the University of Sussex.  Townend started learning to play the piano at age 7.   At the age of 13, he made a Christian commitment, and began songwriting at age 22.  Stuart has led worship and performed events across the world, at many conferences and festivals including the Stoneleigh Bible Week in the early 90s to the early 00s.

• The Song

What a Friend We Have In Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield thee;
thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there

• The Author

“What a Friend We Have in Jesus” is a Christian hymn originally written by Joseph M. Scriven as a poem in 1855 to comfort his mother who was living in Ireland while he was in Canada.  Joseph Scriven, described as one who lived the Christian life of service to his fellows, was born at Ballymoney Lodge, Banbridge and baptised on the 10th of  September 1819.  He obtained his B.A. degree at Trinity College, Dublin, where his two brothers were students, one of which became M.B. in 1842.   Joseph was a Cadet at the Military College, Addiscombe, Surrey, it being his intention to enter the East India Company, this idea  he abandoned at an early age.

The well known hymn was born brought into being out of great sorrow and heart  searching after the loss of his wife.  It is said that it was written to comfort his mother who mourned at her son’s unhappiness.   The hymn was not discovered until just prior to Scriven’s death in 1886.  Although composed in 1857, it was entitled ‘Pray Without Ceasing’.  He was known to be eccentric but was a born philanthropist and devoutly religious; he gave freely of what money he had, even his own clothing and his services to all poorer than himself who needed them.  He died at Port Hope.

• The Song

HE LIVES!

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him He’s always near.

He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho’ my heart grows weary, I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thro’ all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.

• The Author

Alfred Ackley (1887 – 1960) received musical training from his father in New York City and at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and became a great cello player. After graduating from Westminster Theological Seminary in Maryland, he was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1914, and pastored in Wilkes-Barre and Elmhurst, Pennsylvania, and in Escondido, California.  For a few years he worked with evangelist Billy Sunday, and also served as assistant pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  He wrote some 1,500 religious and secular songs, and was associated with the Rodeheaver Music Company.  John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, awarded him an honorary Doctor of Sacred Music degree.  Helen Armacost was his wife, Bentley Ackley was his brother and all three are known for their music ministries.

• The Song

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

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

See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near
and bless Your name

Sorrow and love 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.

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

• The Author

Isaac Watts wrote many papers for places of higher learning but his most famous work is the hymn, “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed.”  Watts was born July 17, 1674, at Southampton, England.  Such compelling lyrics came from a child born into a home of “non-Comformists” during the times when the Church of England persecuted Dissenters and Independents.  His father was jailed twice during this time of persecution.  Despite the fact that this era of intolerance lasted only a short while; it had a significant effect on Watts.  In 1707, Watts wrote the lyrics to “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed.”

AT THE CROSS

• The Song

Alas and Did My Savior Bleed?
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred Head
For such a worm as I?

Refrain:
At the cross, At the cross
Where I first saw the Light
And the burden of my heart rolled away
It was there by Faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Was it for crimes that I have done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And Love beyond degree!

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of Love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away
‘Tis all that I can do!

• The Author

Isaac Watts wrote many papers for places of higher learning but his most famous work is the hymn, “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed.”  Watts was born July 17, 1674, at Southampton, England.  Such compelling lyrics came from a child born into a home of “non-Comformists” during the times when the Church of England persecuted Dissenters and Independents.  His father was jailed twice during this time of persecution.  Despite the fact that this era of intolerance lasted only a short while; it had a significant effect on Watts.  In 1707, Watts wrote the lyrics to “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed.”

• The Song

Glory To His Name

Down at the cross where my Savior died,
Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name, glory to His Name:
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His Name!

I am so wondrously saved from sin,
Jesus so sweetly abides within;
There at the cross where He took me in;
Glory to His Name!

Oh, precious fountain that saves from sin,
I am so glad I have entered in;
There Jesus saves me and keeps me clean;
Glory to His Name!

Come to this fountain so rich and sweet,
Cast thy poor soul at the Savior’s feet;
Plunge in today, and be made complete;
Glory to His Name!

• The Author

Elisha A. Hoffman, a minister’s son who attended Union Seminary in New Berlin, Pennsylvania, was ordained in 1868.   Afterward, he worked with the Evangelical Association’s publishing arm in Cleveland, Ohio for 11 years.  Then following the death of his wife he pastored at the First Presbyterian Church in Benton Harbor, Michigan and in Cabery, Illinois (1911-1922).  He is remembered for his care for the poor and downtrodden, he died at age ninety a giant of the gospel song era.  In his life­time, he wrote over 2,000 Gos­pel songs.

• Song

Are you Washed in the Blood of the Lamb?

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

• Author

Elisha A. Hoffman a minister’s son attended Union Seminary in New Berlin, Pennsylvania, and was ordained in 1868.   Afterward, he worked with the Evangelical Association’s publishing arm in Cleveland, Ohio for 11 years.   Then following the death of his wife he pastored at the First Presbyterian Church in Benton Harbor, Michigan and in Cabery, Illinois (1911-1922).   He is remembered for his care for the poor and downtrodden, he died at age ninety a giant of the gospel song era.