Scripture Verse

A fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. Zechariah 13:1

Introduction

portrait
Phoebe P. Knapp (1839–1908)

Words: Phoe­be W. Pal­mer (1807–1874). This song was in use in camp meet­ings by 1872, and was ap­par­ent­ly writ­ten the year be­fore. In an 1871 let­ter, Phoe­be Pal­mer (the el­der) says she had been asked by her daugh­ter (Phoe­be Pal­mer Knapp) to write a hymn po­em for her. It is thought Clean­sing Wave was the re­sult.

Music: Phoe­be P. Knapp (1839–1908) (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Phoebe W. Palmer (1807–1874)

Lyrics

Oh, now I see the cleans­ing wave!
The foun­tain deep and wide;
Jesus, my Lord, migh­ty to save,
Points to His wound­ed side.

Refrain

The cleans­ing stream I see! I see!
I plunge, and oh, it cleans­eth me!
Oh, praise the Lord! It cleans­eth me!
It cleans­eth me—yes, cleans­eth me.

I rise to walk in Heav’n’s own light,
Above the world and sin,
With heart made pure and gar­ments white,
And Christ en­throned with­in.

Refrain

I see the new cre­ation rise;
I hear the speak­ing blood.
It speaks! Pol­lut­ed na­ture dies!
Sinks ’neath the cleans­ing flood.

Refrain

Amazing grace! ’tis Heav’n be­low
To feel the blood ap­plied,
And Je­sus, on­ly Je­sus know,
My Je­sus cru­ci­fied.

Refrain