Great Hymns of the Christian Faith: There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood
William Cowper and the Cleansing Power of the Cross
Some hymns comfort us in sorrow. Others strengthen us in faith. A few bring us face-to-face with the very heart of the gospel. William Cowper’s beloved hymn, There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood, belongs to that last company.
It reminds us that the answer to our deepest problem—our sin before a holy God—is found not in our goodness, our achievements, or our religious observances, but in the saving work of Jesus Christ.
The hymn is not merely about forgiveness as an idea. It points us to the cross, where Jesus gave His life for sinners, and to the cleansing that God offers through His Son.
William Cowper: A Poet Who Knew His Need of Grace
William Cowper (1731–1800) was an English poet whose life was marked by remarkable literary gifts and profound personal suffering.
He experienced severe periods of depression and spiritual anguish.
His struggles did not prevent him from writing some of the most enduring Christian poetry in the English language.
Cowper became closely associated with John Newton, the former slave trader who had become an Anglican minister and who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. Together, Cowper and Newton contributed to Olney Hymns, published in 1779.
Their friendship and shared Christian faith produced hymns that continue to speak to believers across the centuries. Newton’s writing often celebrates the wonder of grace; Cowper’s frequently brings us into the depths of human weakness and the sufficiency of Christ.
There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood is one of Cowper’s most powerful testimonies to the gospel.
The Biblical Foundation: A Fountain for Sin and Uncleanness
The image at the center of this hymn comes from the prophet Zechariah. God promises a cleansing that human beings cannot accomplish for themselves.
“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” Zechariah 13:1
The fountain is a picture of God's provision for cleansing from sin. Christians understand its fulfillment through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed for the redemption of His people.
The New Testament makes this connection unmistakable:
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7
Notice the breadth of that promise. It does not say that Christ cleanses us from a few particularly shameful sins, or only from the sins of those who have lived respectable lives. It declares that His blood cleanses from all sin.
That is the wonder of the gospel.
No sinner is beyond the reach of God's mercy who comes to Christ in repentance and faith. No amount of human effort can replace what Jesus has done, and
no human failure is greater than His power to save.
Why Blood? The Cost of Our Redemption
Modern readers may find the hymn's language startling. Why does it speak so directly about blood?
The answer lies in the Bible's understanding of sacrifice and redemption. Sin is not a minor mistake that can simply be dismissed. It is rebellion against God, and its consequences are serious. God's holiness and justice cannot be separated from His love.
Under the old covenant, the sacrifices taught Israel that sin required atonement. Those sacrifices pointed forward to the one perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The writer of Hebrews explains:
“Without shedding of blood is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22
And then the letter directs our attention to Christ, who offered Himself once for all.
Jesus did not die merely to give us an example of courage or to inspire us to live more kindly.
He died for our sins. At the cross, He bore the judgment our sins deserved, opening the way for forgiveness and reconciliation with God.
The blood in Cowper's hymn is therefore not a celebration of suffering for its own sake. It is a proclamation of the price Jesus willingly paid to redeem sinners.
The cross tells us two truths we must never separate:
our sin is more serious than we would like to believe, and
God's love is greater than we could ever earn.
The Fountain Is Open
A fountain is not a sealed reservoir, reserved for a privileged few. It suggests an abundant provision, available to those who come to it.
The gospel invitation is wonderfully clear. We do not cleanse ourselves first and then approach Christ. We come to Him because we need cleansing.
Jesus Himself declared:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
We may carry guilt over things done years ago.
We may be ashamed of words spoken in anger, opportunities neglected, or sins hidden from other people.
We may have tried to overcome our failures through resolutions and good works, only to discover that the past cannot be undone by our own efforts.
Christ does not ask us to purchase forgiveness. He calls us to come to Him.
This does not mean that sin no longer matters, or that grace gives us permission to continue in disobedience. The grace that forgives also begins the work of transforming us. We are saved by Christ's work, not by our own merit, and the life that follows is one of gratitude, repentance, and growing obedience.
The fountain remains open because the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice does not diminish with time.
A Hymn for the Guilty and the Weary
One of the most moving features of Cowper's hymn is its insistence that cleansing is possible even for those who feel overwhelmed by their past.
The hymn directs us away from endless self-examination and toward the finished work of Christ.
Our feelings may fluctuate.
Our memories may trouble us.
Our consciences may remind us of genuine failures.
Yet our hope does not rest on the strength of our emotions. It rests on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
Paul writes:
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:7
Redemption is not a reward for the spiritually accomplished. It is God's gift to those who need a Savior.
Cowper knew something of inward darkness. His life reminds us that Christian faith does not guarantee freedom from every emotional struggle. Believers may suffer deeply even while trusting in Christ. We should not assume that every season of sadness reflects a failure of faith.
Yet in the midst of suffering, the promises of God remain.
Our assurance rests not in our ability to feel confident at every moment, but in the character and saving work of the Lord Jesus.
The hymn points us toward that sure foundation.
From Cleansing to Praise
What should our response be to such a gift?
First, we come to Christ honestly, confessing our sin and trusting in His mercy. We stop pretending that we can save ourselves.
Second, we live in gratitude. Forgiveness is not permission to take sin lightly; it is the beginning of a new life in which we seek to honor the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.
Finally, we bear witness to the same hope. The message of the cross belongs not only in church buildings or hymnbooks. It belongs wherever people are burdened by guilt, discouraged by failure, or searching for peace with God.
The gospel is not that good people can become a little better. It is that Jesus Christ came to save sinners.
Cowper's hymn has endured because it brings us back to that central truth.
Its language is vivid, its theology is unmistakably biblical, and its invitation remains relevant in every generation.
The Fountain Still Speaks
Centuries have passed since William Cowper wrote this hymn. The world has changed, but the human need for forgiveness has not.
We still struggle with pride, selfishness, resentment, fear, and guilt.
We still need reconciliation with our Creator.
And the answer remains Jesus Christ.
“Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” Revelation 1:5
The Christian faith does not rest on the claim that we have made ourselves worthy of God. It rests on the declaration that Christ has done for us what we could never do for ourselves.
That is why this hymn belongs among the great hymns of the Christian faith. It does not direct our attention to the greatness of the hymn writer, the strength of the worshiper, or the achievements of the church. It directs us to Jesus.
The fountain is a reminder of the mercy God has provided through the sacrifice of His Son. Its message calls us to repent, to believe, to receive forgiveness, and to live in the freedom of God's grace.
For the guilty, there is forgiveness.
For the weary, there is hope.
For the sinner who comes to Christ, there is cleansing.
And for all who have received His mercy, there is reason to praise Him—not because we have earned His love, but because He first loved us.
The heart of the hymn is the heart of the gospel: our hope is in Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us and whose saving grace is sufficient.
Great Hymns of the Christian Faith — exploring the biblical truths, Christian history, and enduring witness behind the hymns that have taught generations to trust in Jesus Christ.
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Under the Blood
Lord, keep my soul from day to day,
Under the blood, under the blood;
Take doubt and fear and sin away,
Under the precious blood.
Refrain
Under the blood, the precious blood,
Under the cleansing, healing flood;
Keep me, Savior, from day to day;
Under the precious blood.
The sinner’s refuge here alone,
Under the blood, under the blood;
Here Jesus makes salvation known,
Under the precious blood.
Refrain
Lord, with Thyself my spirit fill,
Under the blood, under the blood;
And work in me to do Thy will,
Under the precious blood.
Refrain
Sweet peace abides within the heart,
Under the blood, under the blood;
And gifts divine their joy impart,
Under the precious blood.
Refrain
The Holy Spirit, hour by hour,
Under the blood, under the blood,
Exerts His sanctifying power,
Under the precious blood.
Refrain
. Eliza E. Hewitt (1851-1920).
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