There Is a Fountain (Easter Special)

In today's episode we offer you a profound understanding of why the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just a historical event, but the bedrock of our faith, as Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15. We pay tribute to the enduring legacy of William Cowper, delving into his classic hymn "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood," and uncovering the depths of its theological richness. We take a look at both Cowper's personal struggles, and the pastoral support and comfort he received from the Unwin family and Rev. John Newton. We learn a little about how the Cowper's words have had various music settings and get to hear various takes on the most popular tune used today. Reawaken Hymn's moving rendition of this hymn bring home the episode's message of hope and the enduring promise of the gospel.

As we reflect on themes of atonement and the free gift of salvation, the life-changing impact of this sacred song becomes clear. Cowper's song  journeys from the somber reflection of Good Friday to the triumph of Easter Sunday.  We explore the vivid imagery of the dying thief and the infinite mercy of God, challenging us to live as "resurrection people," filled with the transformative power of Jesus' resurrection in our daily lives. This episode is not merely a listening experience but an invitation to embrace the boundless grace and redemption that define our lives and our worship. Join us and be inspired by the power of this phenomenal hymn to articulate our deepest desires for redemption and ignite a renewed sense of hope in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

A huge thank you again to Doug Johnson for "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood" arranged and performed for solo violin.

SHOW LINKS:

"There is a Fountain" performed by Nathan Drake of Reawaken Hymns with chord charts and many other church music resources.

"There is a Fountain" appears on the album Hymns of the Son available here.

Excerpt from Alistair Begg – “The Man on the Middle Cross Said I Could Come”

 "Let Me Sing" by Andrew Peterson from the Album Clear to Venus

"There is a Fountain"by Tim Harvey and The Bethlehem Baptist Praise Band

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:00

In the resurrection we have the presence of the future, the power by which God will finally destroy all suffering, evil, deformity and death at the end of time has broken into history now and is available partially but substantially now, when we unite with the risen Christ by faith, that future power that is potent enough to remake the universe comes into us. Timothy Keller, this is the Bright.

Speaker 1 0:44

Forever, he is risen. He is risen indeed. Happy Easter to all of you out there and welcome to the Bright Forever where each week, we rediscover the power and richness found in some of the greatest hymns of the faith. My name is Andy Peavyhouse and I am your host and guide on this. Name is Andy Peavyhouse and I am your host and guide on this our adventure through hymnody.

Speaker 1 1:34

It is Easter and today we get to celebrate the greatest miracle ever seen in the history of the universe. We celebrate God's power that not only takes away our sin, away our sin, but defeats the very power of death itself. The restoration our hearts have been longing for, yearning for, groaning for desperately, has finally been revealed in the finished work of Jesus' resurrection. Today, as we look at what Christ's resurrection means to each of us, we cannot separate what we celebrate today from what we experienced on Good Friday. The blood of Jesus would have been spilled in vain if it were not for what we celebrate today. If it were not for what we celebrate today, without the resurrection, jesus would just be another dead prophet, just another whatever. You fill in the blank.

Speaker 1 2:34

The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, verses 13 through 15, but if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise. If it is true that the dead are not raised, the blood of Jesus shed for us on Friday is made that much more powerful because of Sunday. Because of Sunday, the grace God shows us through the death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday is made that much more amazing because of Sunday.

Speaker 1 3:36

And without Resurrection Morning, without Easter Sunday, our faith would be in vain, our preaching would be in vain. All these songs, hymns, spiritual songs we have written and sung, the countless centuries of worship and praise would all be in vain. But I say again he is risen. In the words of Keith and Melody Green, circa 1980, there is a Redeemer, jesus Christ, god's Son, precious Lamb of God, messiah, holy One. Thank you, o my Father, for giving us your Son and leaving your Spirit till the work on earth is done, I'll say it again Thank you, father, for giving us your Son.

Speaker 1 4:40

Today we'll be diving into an amazing hymn that unites Good Friday with Easter, that moves us to remember the power of the blood of Jesus that was won for us upon the cross and sealed through his resurrection. Our hymn for today there is a fountain filled with blood. Let's dive in, but before we do, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and follow us so you never miss an episode. There is a fountain filled with blood was pinned by William Cooper, the renowned poet of the 18th century. Cooper faced persistent struggles with his mental health throughout his life, specifically dealing with bouts of extreme depression. Following a particularly challenging episode which led to his confinement in an asylum from 1763 to 1765, cooper found refuge with the family of Reverend Morley Unwin in Huntington, england. Tragically, just two years later, in 1767, reverend Unwin passed away in a horse riding accident. Richard Conyers, a mutual friend, facilitated a meeting between the distressed family and a man you may be familiar with, reverend John Newton yes, the same Reverend John Newton who wrote Amazing Grace. He was serving as a curate in a nearby town about 36 miles away. Recognizing their need for support, newton invited them to relocate. Under his pastoral care, cooper and the Unwins eventually settled in a residence adjacent to Newton's, with only an orchard separating them. Newton's guidance proved invaluable to Cooper, especially following the deaths of both Reverend Unwin and Cooper's brother John, in 1770. In 1770. It was during this period of collaboration and support that Cooper was encouraged to challenge his literary talents into hymn writing. Many of his most cherished hymns were composed during this time, including there is a Fountain Filled with Blood, which made its debut in Richard Conyers' collection of psalms and hymns in 1772, published by Clement Watts in London. The next year, in 1773, cooper once again succumbed to another bout with mental illness and fell into a period of deep depression. When there Is a Fountain Filled with Blood was first published, it was in seven stanzas of four lines, with no music, and the authorship was unattributed. It wasn't until 1779, with the publication of only hymns. 1779, with the publication of Omni Hymns, we see the first attribution to Cooper. The stirring melody we today associate with there is a Fountain Filled with Blood is an adaptation of what was composed by American hymnist Lowell Mason. The tune we sing today came around. The tune we sing today came around nearly 100 years after the hymn's first publishing. Many musical arrangements have been used to try and capture Cooper's words over the last two centuries. As a matter of fact, even Mason is credited with adapting his melody from an earlier composition by English composer Thomas Hastings In 1865,.

Speaker 1 8:52

A significant blending of musical traditions occurred with the publication of the appendix to Hallowed Songs. Within this collection, cooper's hymn text was paired with the tune that was modified from the melody originally composed by Lowell Mason. The adapted tune also extended the text to eight phrases, adding repeated lines in each verse. The new tune was called Cleansing Fountain. The new tune was called Cleansing Fountain. It's worthy of noting that Mason's original tune, known as Fountain, was also included in this exact same collection and it was credited to him. Cleansing Fountain is rightly recognized as a tune also by Lowell Mason, adapted with an anonymous camp meeting refrain. Despite Mason's original fountain tune from 1831, cleansing Fountain gained far greater popularity and continued to be printed well into the 20th century, and it's the tune that we know of today. It's the tune that we know of today Now that we've explored the background of Cooper's amazing hymn's rich imagery and message of the redeeming love of God through the blood of Jesus.

Speaker 1 10:33

But before we get there. We have a special treat. My friend, doug Johnson, recorded an original arrangement of this amazing hymn specifically for our podcast. I get the amazing privilege to lead worship alongside Doug every single week and an amazing team of volunteers at Bell Shoals Church, riverview Campus. Doug is a remarkable violinist and took time out of his busy schedule this week to record this song for us. Today. Here is there Is a Fountain Filled with Blood, arranged and performed for solo violin by Doug no-transcript.

Speaker 1 14:07

As we go into this hymn, as we look at the words, each verse of this powerful song digs deeper into the richness of exactly what we are celebrating this Easter Sunday. What we are celebrating this Easter Sunday. In verse one it says there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins. This opening verse immediately points to the foundational truth of the doctrine of atonement through the blood of Jesus. The fountain filled with blood symbolizes the source of redemption for sinners, which is the sacrificial death of Jesus, our Emmanuel God with us, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. It evokes the imagery of immersion in the cleansing flood of Christ's blood. It points me to 1 John 1, verses 7-9, where we hear but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Speaker 1 15:36

I love verse nine. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We sing lose all their guilty stains. We see the transformative power of Christ's finished work. Jesus removes our guilt, he removes the stain of sin. We see another powerful doctrine here justification through faith in Christ. And then we get to verse two. The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day. This verse recalls the narrative of the thief on the cross who repented and received assurance of salvation from Jesus in Luke 23. And I used this last year and I'm going to use it again because I can't help it. Really I cannot say it any better than Alistair Begg Check this out.

Speaker 4 16:54

Think about the thief on the cross, and what an immense. They think about the thief on the cross, and what an immense. I can't wait to find that fellow one day to ask him how did that shake out for you? Because you were cussing the guy out with your friend. You'd never been in a Bible study, you never got baptized, you didn't know a thing about church membership, and yet you made it. You made it. How did you make it? That's what the angel must have said. You know. Like, what are you doing here? Well, I don't know. What do you mean? You don't know. Well, because I don't know. Well, you know. Excuse me, let me get my supervisor. I'll get the supervisor in here.

Speaker 4 17:46

So just a few questions for you. First of all, are you clear on the doctrine of justification by faith? The guy said I've never heard of it in my life. And what about? Let's just go to the doctrine of scripture? Immediately, this guy's just staring and eventually, in frustration, he says on what basis are you here? And he said the man on the middle cross said I can come Now. That is the only answer.

Speaker 1 18:21

The dying thief's experience is that powerful testimony to the boundless mercy and grace of God that is available to all who turn to him in faith. And then we get to. And there may I, though vile as he, regardless of my past sins, my complete unworthiness. This hymn reminds me that my deepest desire is for redemption, it's for forgiveness. It's only found in Christ. It echoes the truth of salvation that it is free. Romans 3, 23 through 25 says For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith. Salvation is free to all who repent and believe in Jesus Christ, no matter your past. Verse three starts with Dear dying lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power. Here we see the term dying lamb reminds us that Jesus is that lamb of God sacrificed on our behalf. His death and resurrection has the eternal power to save and redeem, and then says shall never lose its power, shall never lose its power. Rem reminds us of our assurance of salvation through Christ's atonement. And then it says till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more. This verse comes with a sense of anticipation the ultimate consummation of redemption, when all the redeemed, the ransomed church of God, will be sanctified and freed from the presence and power of sin. This verse points us to the doctrine of glorification, where one day we will be made perfect and sinless in the presence of God and be saved to sin no more.

Speaker 1 21:10

Revelation 21, verse 4,. John tells us he, jesus, will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore. For the former things have passed away. Ere, since by faith I saw the stream, thy flowing wounds supply. This verse tells every believer's story, our experience of recognizing our sin and finding that source of healing in Christ's finished work. Jesus is the source of life. Jesus tells the woman at the well in John 4,. But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. He is our source and ever since I found that stream, here's what comes next. Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die. That phrase reconfirms for us the centrality of God's redeeming love. It's our ultimate aim and testimony of our life in Christ.

Speaker 1 22:55

Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 2.2, to preach nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified, which underscores the enduring significance of Christ's sacrifice in the life of every believer. But look at what it says in verse 3. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. He was teaching them by action, not just words. We should live lives as resurrection people.

Speaker 1 23:51

I remember when we went to Journey Church. We were there for quite a while and one of the things I loved about Journey is we would have a party every Easter and our pastor while we were there was Pastor Michael and he would always talk about that. We need to live our lives as resurrection people and I love that. I love that line. We have been redeemed. That is the theme of our lives, that's our greatest story, it's the most powerful song we can sing and our lives should be lived day in and day out to proclaim it, that we are a resurrection people. We are not stuck with a God who is dead on a cross, but he defeated death. We are a resurrection people. God has done everything for us and we in turn get to shout it from the rooftops, proclaim it on every street corner and declare to all who can hear we are a resurrection people. And there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains Drawn from Emmanuel's veins.

Speaker 5 25:40

And sinners plunge beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains. And sinners plunge beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains, all that guilty stays. The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in this day. And there have I, the while I see. Washed all my sins away. Washed all my sins away. Wash all my sins away. Wash all my sins away. And there have I the mercy. Wash all my sins away, thank you. Shall never lose his 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. Thank you, I won't 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 and shall be Till I die. Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be Till I die time.

Speaker 1 30:25

That was. There Is A Fountain performed by Nathan Drake of Reawaken Hymns from the album Hymns of the Sun. For more information about this song and all of the amazing resources available at Reawaken Hymns, check out the links in the show notes for this episode. Now I can't leave this episode without adding at least one more verse. If you are from the Baptist tradition, you may not even realize that this verse exists. I know I didn't Actually many hymnals today only use those first four verses that I just shared. I actually found this verse almost kind of by accident, after listening to what I believe essentially is my most favorite Andrew Peterson song ever. It's a song called Let Me Sing and if you know me and if you listen to this song, you'll hear my testimony. It's wrapped up in almost every lyric of this song. But what's amazing about this song and this hymn is found in the last verse. It says I want to open up my arms and embrace that old, rugged cross. I want to take pride in the reason and be humbled by the cause. And when this lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave, then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing your praise. I'll sing your praise. So let me sing for the love. Let me love for the lost. Let me lose all I have for what I found on the cross. Let me trust you with my life. Let me live to give you praise. Let me praise you for the grace by which I'm saved, and, Lord, let me praise you for the grace by which I'm saved, and, Lord, let me sing. It wasn't until a few years later, after hearing this song and falling in love with the song this is probably because of that line, because of that verse, became my most favorite song in the world. I'm like and this lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave, Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing your praise. I had no idea that the final verse of there is a Fountain Filled with Blood says this when this poor, lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave, then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing thy power to save.

Speaker 1 33:48

As I reflect on the profound message in the closing verse of there is a fountain filled with blood, I am deeply moved by what it speaks into my life as someone who has struggled his entire life with a speech impediment, who has struggled his entire life with a speech impediment.

Speaker 1 34:22

Each word spoken is a testament to the grace of God and his transformative power. And when my stuttering tongue lies silent in the grave, I am assured that in the presence of my Savior, in a nobler, sweeter song I will sing his praise Because we are a resurrection people. The challenges I face in articulating my thoughts and praises on this side of eternity. There is a comfort in the knowledge that one day, in the glorious presence of God, my voice will be freed from all hindrances and I will sing his power to save with unwavering clarity and unspeakable joy, Because we are a resurrection people. Until that day comes, I am constantly reminded to press on, Trusting in the promise of redemption and eagerly anticipating the moment when my speech impediment will be no more and I will join the heavenly choir of saints, exalting the name of Jesus forevermore.

Speaker 3 36:30

When this police being's staring tongue Lies silent in the grave, then, in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing thy power to save. I'll sing thy power to save. I'll sing thy power to save. Then, in a noble, sweetest song, I'll sing my power to save.

Speaker 1 37:25

That was an excerpt of. There Is a Fountain by Tim Harvey and the Bethlehem Baptist Praise Band from Bethlehem Baptist Church in Cunningham, kentucky. A link to the full song on YouTube can be found in the show notes for this episode. You can also find a link to the song Let Me Sing by Andrew Peterson in the show notes. Thank you for joining me this week on the bright forever and I hope you have an amazing Easter Sunday and remember that we are a resurrection.

Speaker 1 38:05

People Also remember to follow us, review us and, of course, subscribe and check out all of the amazing features that we have on our website at thebrightforevercom. I say it every week, but I would love to hear from you. You can email us at podcast at thebrightforevercom. You can click the contact us tab at the top of our website and send us a message through our contact form. Or you can go to our website and click on the radio microphone in the bottom right corner and you can record a message up to two minutes and let us know what you think of our podcast. Do not miss an opportunity to get some Bright Forever swag that you can show off to your friends by going to our merch store on our website by simply clicking the store tab in the menu. And, of course, your financial support is absolutely amazing to me. For those of you who would like to help reach a greater audience with these hymns, take a moment and go to thebrightforevercom. You can click on the support the podcast tab in the menu and you can subscribe by giving three, five, eight or ten dollars per month to help support what we are doing here at the Bright Forever. And if you're not ready to commit to every month, you can always click the yellow coffee icon at the bottom left of our page and give a $5 or greater one-time gift through our buy me a coffee supporters account.

Speaker 1 39:38

Thank you again for listening and I hope you have an amazing Easter and a great week. Before we go, let me close us out in prayer. Lord, thank you for the cross, thank you for your grace and thank you, lord, that you did not leave us in our sin but you made a way through the amazing gift of your son. Thank you for Jesus. Help us to have an amazing week. Remind us daily of the power of the cross and that we are a resurrection people, and help us to make that not just our theme for today or of this week, but remind us that redeeming love has been our theme and shall be till we die. We love you, lord, and we pray all of this in Jesus' name, amen. God bless you all this in Jesus name, amen. God bless you all. Have a great week. We'll be back with new episodes on April 9th. Until then, have a happy Easter. We're out, thank you.