There is a fountain filled with blood - Hymn Lyrics

1. There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’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.

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:
Wash all my sins away,
Wash all my sins away;
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 ones of God
Be saved, to sin no more:
Be saved, to sin no more,
Be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed ones 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:
And shall be till I die,
And shall be till I die;
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:
I’ll sing Thy power to save,
I’ll sing Thy power to save;
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing Thy power to save.

"There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood" is one of the most profound and enduring hymns in the English-speaking world, written by William Cowper in 1772. Cowper (pronounced "Cooper") was a gifted poet and hymn writer who struggled deeply with depression and mental anguish throughout his life. Despite—or perhaps because of—his struggles, this hymn flows from a place of deep personal need and vivid understanding of the cleansing power of Christ’s atonement. The imagery of the hymn is striking and unflinching, reflecting the seriousness of sin and the wonder of divine mercy.

The opening line, “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins,” introduces the hymn’s central symbol: the blood of Christ as a fountain of cleansing and life. It draws directly from passages like Zechariah 13:1 and Hebrews 9:14, which speak of Christ’s blood purifying sinners. Cowper follows this bold image with the assurance that even the most guilty soul—“the dying thief”—can be washed clean. This reference to the thief on the cross in Luke 23 makes the message of grace personal and accessible: if there was hope for him, there is hope for all.

Each verse is a meditation on the power of the blood of Jesus to remove guilt and give new life. The third stanza is especially autobiographical for Cowper: “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.” Here, Cowper testifies to the sustaining power of grace throughout his own tormented life. Despite his lifelong battles with despair, he clung to the hope that Christ’s sacrifice had secured his redemption.

Musically, the hymn has been set to several tunes, the most common being Cleansing Fountain. Its solemn, reflective mood fits the weighty subject of Christ’s sacrifice and the joy of forgiveness. “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood” endures because it speaks honestly of human need and lifts up the cross as the only true remedy. In both personal devotion and congregational worship, it remains a powerful reminder that there is still a fountain flowing, and its stream has never lost its power.