The Old Fountain

By Sa­mar­ia’s way­side well

Once a bless­èd mes­sage fell

On a wo­man’s thirs­ty soul

Long ago;

And to eyes that long were sealed

Was the glo­ri­ous light re­vealed

Thro’ a fount­ain that was op­ened

Long ago.

There’s a fount­ain that was op­ened

Long ago

For the heal­ing of the na­tions

Is its flow;

Along the line of ag­es

The pro­phets and the sag­es

Caught the sing­ing of its wa­ters

Long ago.

And a lit­tle cap­tive maid

By a le­per un­dis­mayed

Told to him a sim­ple sto­ry

Long ago;

That the stream where he might lave

Had alone the pow­er to save

Thro’ his trust in that old fount­ain

Long ago.

And a wo­man in a crowd

Without word or cry aloud

Just stooped down and touched His gar­ment

Long ago;

As her ur­gent soul ap­pealed

So her sin­ful soul was healed

In that fount­ain that was op­ened

Long ago.

As the eu­nuch tried to read

Philip taught him of his need

And bap­tized him in the stream

Long ago;

As the out­ward seal and sign

Of an in­ward work di­vine

That was wrought through that old fount­ain

Long ago.

O thou fount­ain

deep and wide

Flowing from the wound­ed side

That was pierced for our re­demp­tion

Long ago;

In thy ev­er cleans­ing wave

There is found all pow­er to save

’Tis the pow­er that healed the na­tions

Long ago.