There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins,
and sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains!

Stop there; savor that: “lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains!” Really? That’s right: “and sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.”

So wrote William Cowper (pronounced “Cooper”) in 1771 reflecting on how he survived some of the darkest, coldest, most terrifying days of his life in which his past and present circumstances began to unravel and crumble around him, threatening to crush and causing him to despair of life. In fact, as one account has it, despite multiple, mad efforts to take his own life in those days in 1763 he found his plans thwarted at every turn.

Eight years later he was coming to understand the root of his sorrow – and the Root of his rescue: Jesus Christ and him crucified by which the guilt and shame, anger and bitterness that consume us and weigh us down are taken away! “The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day; and there have I – as vile as he! – washed all my sins away! — washed all my sins away; washed all my sins away! And there have I – as vile as he! – washed all my sins away!” All of the real shame and guilt which threatened to be exposed on that day in 1763 and by which he would be destroyed had been dealt with and done away with.

Some years later, Cowper expressed his wonder at the mystery of the cross by which guilt and shame, anger and bitterness are done away with:

God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform;
he plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.

[so ...]

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head!

Having been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb, then, let us come boldly together, with confident joy and hope, to worship and fellowship together in Christ before the throne of grace to be renewed in the joy of his salvation and the hope of our calling.

Order of Worship for 02.08.09