There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood

The story of this hymn

William Cowper, one of England's great poets, wrote this around 1771 at Olney, where he worked alongside John Newton — author of 'Amazing Grace' — on the collection later published as the Olney Hymns. Cowper fought crushing depression all his life, and the hymn's longing for cleansing and rest is his own. The final verse, where the 'poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave' only to wake to a nobler song, is why families choose it for funerals.

Where it sits in the service

Often placed after the tributes, or as the last hymn before the committal, with the final verse — the tongue silent in the grave, then the nobler song — sometimes held back to be sung at the graveside itself. Tunes differ between traditions, and the American tune repeats several lines; confirm with your organist which version the congregation knows before you print.

In the programme, list it in the order of service as “Hymn — There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood” with the leader or choir named beside it.

How it is actually sung

Cowper’s imagery is vivid and, for some congregations, uncomfortably so — it is a hymn about blood and cleansing, and it is genuinely worth reading through before choosing it on the strength of the title. Four verses. Where it fits, particularly in traditional and homegoing services, it is one of the most powerful hymns here. Where it does not fit, it is jarring in a way the family will feel from the front.

Printing the words

Public domain. Read the verses aloud before printing; more than any other hymn here, this one surprises families who only knew the title.

This is practical guidance rather than legal advice. Reproduction rights vary by territory, by hymnal edition and by the licence your church holds — the church office is the right place to ask, and they answer this question often.