Scripture Verse

A pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22:1

Introduction

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Robert Lowry (1826–1899)

Words: Ho­ra­ti­us Bo­nar, in the Quar­ter­ly Jour­nal of Pro­phe­cy, Oc­to­ber 1859, and in his Hymns of Faith and Hope, se­cond ser­ies (Lon­don: James Nis­bet, 1861), page 26. These words are stan­zas 4–6 of the long­er hymn Bathed in Un­fall­en Sun­light.

Music: Riv­er of Life Ro­bert Low­ry, in Gos­pel Hymns No. 2, ed­it­ed by Phil­ip P. Bliss & Ira D. San­key (New York; Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio & Chicago, Il­li­nois: John Church and Big­low & Main, 1876), num­ber 54 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Horatius Bonar (1808–1889)

Lyrics

Fresh from the throne of glo­ry,
Bright in its crys­tal gleam,
Bursts out the liv­ing fount­ain,
Swells on the liv­ing stream;
Blessèd riv­er, let me ev­er
Feast my eyes on thee;
Blessèd riv­er, let me ev­er
Feast my eyes on thee.

Stream full of life and glad­ness,
Spring of all health and peace,
No harps by thee hang si­lent,
Nor hap­py voic­es cease;
Tranquil riv­er, let me ev­er
Sit and sing by thee;
Tranquil riv­er, let me ev­er
Sit and sing by thee.

River of God, I greet thee,
Not now afar, but near,
My soul to Thy still wa­ter
Hastes in its thirst­ings here;
Holy riv­er, let me ev­er
Drink of on­ly thee;
Holy riv­er, let me ev­er
Drink of on­ly thee.