Saturday, March 29, 2008

Then Sings My Soul - "There is a Fountain" ~ Insanity and Spiritual Songs


There Is A Fountain


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.

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.
---------------------------------------------

William Cowper met Jesus while in a mental asylum. His life was marked by a constant struggle with anxiety and depression yet in the midst of that struggle he found great joy in knowing that his pain was architected by a sovereign God who was leading him ever closer to Jesus. Out of this troubled life came beautiful and vivid poetry, including Cowper's most famous work "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood". (Youtube comments)

For more details see this beautiful article by pastor John Piper entitled Insanity and Spiritual Songs in the Soul of a Saint where he says “What we find is that William Cowper's life seems to be one long accumulation of pain.”

This song is a beautiful testimony of God’s sovereignty and His use of even the weak and unlovely vessels to achieve His Holy purposes.

**Note for whatever reason I wasn't able to get the code to load into Blogger today, but if you'd like to see more from other bloggers participating in Then Sings My Soul Saturday, click on the button in my sidebar. Enjoy.

11 comments:

Susan said...

Wow, this is so AWESOME! I've always loved this song, but did not know the story behind it!

I will hop over to John Piper's site and read this article now.

Thanks so much for sharing this!

Blessings♥

Shari said...

Your information about William Cowper was interesting. I believe that God can use all of us, if we are willing. There is a way for each one of us to serve Him and witness for Him, no matter what our hang up. The people who have been through some really hard, emotional times have a lot to offer. It's easier to see God working in our lives when we're in need of His comfort and strength.

God's girl said...

I love that story-That is a true inspiration. I LOVE that song too. It is so interesting to see what goes behind writing them.
Blessings,
Angela

Ceci G. said...

Thanks for sharing the story behind the song. I have always loved the story behind "It Is Well (With My Soul)". It's interesting to see the background that led to great songs of faith!

dixymiss said...

Fascinating facts from behind the scenes. This is one of those songs (eXcruciatingly poignant) that I can never get through without tears streaming down...

Melanie said...

I have always loved this song but never knew the story behind it - I am so glad you shared that with us today. I always find it so interesting to know the story behind the hymns we sing.

Kimberly said...

My goodness! Knowing the story behind songs makes them even more powerful!
Thanks so much for sharing the song and the story!

Christina said...

Amazing story about William Cowper and great article by John Piper. The video is so awesome. What an amazing work God has done in this man's life.

Stephanie said...

Michelle,
I loved both the song and the story. Wow! If God can take someone trapped by mental problems and create something so beautiful, well, that is awesome. I was really touched by the imagery in this line...E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply. So True!

Thanks for stopping by to visit me today!

Bunny McCoy said...

I know what you mean. This song has been an inspiration to me...a sermon in itself BEFORE I knew the backstory, and now...well, it amplifies the message of perfect Grace even more, Amen?!

Thank you all for stopping by and sharing with me today.

Michele

Gumbo Lily said...

I have many favorite hymns, but There is a Fountain, has to be in my top 5. I love the Selah version.

~Jody