Scripture Verse

The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17

Introduction

portrait
Philip Doddridge (1702–1751)

Words: Phi­lip Dodd­ridge (1702–1751). Pub­lished post­hu­mous­ly in Hymns Found­ed on Va­ri­ous Texts in the Ho­ly Scrip­tures, by Job Or­ton (Shrop­shire, Eng­land: Jo­shua Ed­dowes & John Cot­ton, 1755), num­ber 355: Christ’s in­vi­ta­tions ech­oed back.

Music: Brigh­ton (Sab­bath) The Sab­bath Hymn and Tune Book, ed­it­ed by Lo­well Ma­son, Ed­wards A. Park & Austin A. Phelps (New York: Ma­son Bro­thers, 1859), page 374 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

Lyrics

How free the foun­tain flows
Of end­less life and joy!
That spring, which no con­fine­ment knows,
Whose wa­ters ne­ver cloy!

How sweet the ac­cents sound
From the Re­deem­er’s tongue!
“Assemble, all ye na­tions round,
In one obe­di­ent throng.

“The Spi­rit bears the call
To all the dist­ant lands;
The Church, the bride, re­flects it back,
While Je­sus wait­ing stands.

“Ho, ev­ery thirs­ty soul,
Approach the sac­red spring;
Drink, and your faint­ing spi­rits cheer,
Renew the draught, and sing.

Let all that will, ap­proach;
The water free­ly take;
Free from Mine op­en­ing heart it flows,
Your rag­ing thirst to slake.

With thank­ful hearts we come
To taste the of­fered grace;
And call on all that hear to join
The trial, and the praise.