“The Cleansing Fountain.” There was once a man who had been a very great sinner. He had long been in the habit of committing all sorts of wickedness. But at last he grew weary of his evil ways, and wanted to become a Christian. But he thought his sins were too great to be forgiven. A Christian man talked and prayed with him. To encourage him he repeated the first verse of the hymn, which says:
“There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.”
But the poor man shook his head, and said, “There’s nothing in that for me. My sins are too great to be washed away.” Then his friend repeated the second verse:
“The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he
Wash all my sins away.”