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.

Refrain

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.

Refrain

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.

Refrain

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.

Refrain

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.

Refrain