Scripture Verse

There is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in as made whole of whatsoever disease he had. John 5:2–4

Introduction

Words: Fred­er­ick De­ni­son, in Wel­come Tid­ings, by Ro­bert Low­ry, How­ard Doane & Ira D. San­key (New York: Big­low & Main, 1877), num­ber 10.

Music: . How­ard Doane (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of De­ni­son (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Howard Doane (1832–1915)

Lyrics

Bethesda is op­en, the an­gel has come,
The Spir­it is call­ing for thee;
The wa­ters are trou­bled, be­hold, there is room;
Salvation through Je­sus is free.

Refrain

Salvation is free, sal­va­tion is free,
Salvation through Je­sus is free;
The wa­ters are trou­bled, be­hold, there is room,
Bethesda is op­en for thee.

Come press to the wa­ters while mer­cy is here,
Accept of a cleans­ing com­plete;
O, hear the en­trea­ty, dis­miss­ing your fear;
Lo, judg­ment and mer­cy now meet.

Refrain

The house of Be­thes­da for si­nners was built,
The pool is a fount­ain of love;
The wa­ters are trou­bled for can­cel­ing guilt,
And still for our heal­ing they move.

Refrain

illustration
The Pool of Bethesda
Bartolomé Murillo (1617–1682)