“Praise for the Fountain Opened” was penned by William Cowper in the 1700’s. Struggling with seasons of depression and melancholy, he found his hope in the deep and wondrous cleansing blood of Christ.

This song draws from Cowper’s ode to the marvelous sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. This is the center of our hope and our faith. The Lamb of God has made his sacrifice, his blood is all the sinner needs, the weight of Jesus’ suffering washes away every guilty stain.

Like the dying thief, our own past, our own insignificance, our own failures all press upon us. We need to look always upon our savior, to see that we are the ransomed church, the children of God, simply by what he has done.

So redeeming love is our theme, the song that we sing. And we have to keep singing, because we forget that this is our only hope. As the cares of the world keep assailing, as injustice and suffering abound and simple life seems to hold no intrinsic joy, we remember again by faith that Jesus has washed away every blemish, every sin, and covered us in his righteousness. And for a moment, just a moment, we again splash in the cleansing flood, we are free in the clean waters that he has bathed us in.

Writing this song and thinking these thoughts did not cure Cowper from his bouts of depression. But these truths assure him and us that depression will end, that hope is alive, that we are cleansed forever in the fountain of the ransoming blood of Jesus Christ. Healing comes. Sin will be done. Life is ahead. Until we die, we sing of the redeeming love of our saving God.