Scripture Verse

There are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 1 John 5:8

Introduction

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Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Words: Is­aac Watts, Hymns and Spir­it­ual Songs 1707–09, Book 3, num­ber 9, alt. The Spir­it, the wa­ter, and the blood.

Music: Fox Tho­mas Com­muck. Har­mo­ny by Tho­mas Hast­ings in In­di­an Me­lo­dies (New York: G. Lane & C. B. Tip­pett, 1845) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

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Thomas Hastings
(1784–1872)

Lyrics

Let all our tongues be one
To praise our God on high,
Who from His bo­som sent His Son
To fetch us stran­gers nigh.

Nor let our voic­es cease
To sing the Sav­ior’s name;
Jesus, th’Am­bas­sa­dor of peace,
How cheer­ful­ly He came.

It cost Him cries and tears
To bring us near to God;
Great was our debt, and He ap­pears
To make the pay­ment good.

My Sav­ior’s pierc­èd side
Poured out a dou­ble flood;
By wa­ter we are pu­ri­fied,
And par­doned by the blood.

How in­fi­nite our guilt,
But He, our priest, atones;
On hard, cold ground His life was spilt,
And of­fered with His groans.

Look up, my soul, to Him
Whose death was thy de­sert,
And hum­bly view the liv­ing stream
Flow from His break­ing heart.

There, on the curs­èd tree,
In dy­ing pangs He lies,
Fulfills His Fa­ther’s great de­cree,
And all our wants sup­plies.

Thus the Re­deem­er came
By wa­ter and by blood;
And when the Spir­it speaks the same,
We feel His wit­ness good.

While the eter­nal Three
Bear re­cord up above,
Here I be­lieve He died for me,
And seal my Sav­ior’s love.

Lord, cleanse my soul from sin
Nor let Thy grace de­part;
Great Com­fort­er, abide with­in,
And wit­ness to my heart.