O now I see the cleansing wave

1
O now I see the cleansing wave!
  The fountain deep and wide;
Jesus, my Lord, mighty to save,
  Points to His wounded side.
  The cleansing stream I see, I see;
I plunge, and O it cleanseth me!
O praise the Lord it cleanseth me!
  It cleanseth me, yes, cleanseth me.
2
I see the dear Redeemer raised,
  I hear the speaking blood;
It speaks! My spirit is amazed!
  And quickened by its flood.
3
I rise to walk in God’s own light
  Above the world and sin,
With heart renewed and garments white
  And Christ enthroned within.
16
Eric Chong

San Francisco, CA, United States

I hear the speaking blood, I see the cleansing stream! O praise the Lord!


Tim Ou

Austin, Texas, United States

The cleansing stream, I see! And it cleanses me.


Steve Miller

Detroit, Michigan, United States

Phoebe Palmer was born in New York State. Her husband, Dr. Walter Palmer, was a prominent New York physician. Dr. and Mrs. Palmer traveled extensively, preaching on the experience of holiness that was God's gift of love to born-again believers. They spent several years in Great Britain, and had great success. Mrs. Palmer wrote a book on sanctification, "Entire Devotion to God". It has been reprinted by Schmul Pulblishers, rare reprint specialists. In her book, Mrs. Palmer says: "I would rather be a man than an angel, because men can do what angels could never do. The angel could only tell Cornelius to send for Peter. .. But Christ took not on Him the fashion of angels, but he took on Himself the fashion as a man. But has His image forever faded away from the earth? No, He has left His image: His representatives. For as He was, so are we in this world. And now He says to His once-rebellious people: 'I will put My Spirit within you, and I will walk in you, and I will dwell in you.' (2Cor 6:16). Oh, yes, if the Lord will, for a few short years, I would rather do the will of God on earth than to exchange places with Gabriel."

Mrs. Palmer not only wrote about the experience of holiness, she enjoyed it to her last moments. Her husband gave this account of his wife's last illness. "On one occasion she said, 'I am fully saved. Hallelujah to God and to the Lamb. I am within speaking distance of my home in paradise.' When blindness came, and she could not see, she said:'Jesus was left alone in His last agony.' When we read the promises of God to her, she said: 'Put my name on those promises.' And after that the promises of God were read with the name of Phoebe Palmer on them.

"Again she said: 'Hallelujah! Precious! I am passing through the valley, without the shadow. Oh, how I should like to go. But Thy will be done. I thought that before this the light of eternal day would dawn on me.' Her daughter, Phoebe Palmer Knapp (who wrote the music for this hymn) asked: 'Do you see me, Mama?' Her reply was, ,'I see no one but Jesus, but I shall soon see the King in His beauty. Glory be to the Father! Glory be to the Son! Glory to the Holy Ghost!' When we bathed her fevered hands, she said 'I shall soon bathe my hands in the life-giving waters.' Just before she passed away, she said, 'I thought I saw the chariot, so glorious. O, death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? Thanks be to God who gives us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Her husband kissed her, and she was gone to be with her Savior forever."

Phoebe Palmer's daughter, Phoebe Palmer Knapp, also wrote the music to that beloved hymn, 'Blessed Assurance'. - Hymn Stories by Wilbur Konkel

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In the original, stanza 1 says "crimson wave" instead of "cleansing wave". This is a change in many hymnals.

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The original stanza 2 says:

2. I see the new creation rise,

I hear the speaking blood;

It speaks, polluted nature dies,

Sinks ’neath the cleansing flood.

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The original stanza 3 says "Heav'n's own light" instead of "God's own light" and says "heart made pure" instead of "heart renewed".

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There is a 4th stanza:

4. Amazing grace! ’tis Heav’n below

To feel the blood applied,

And Jesus, only Jesus know,

My Jesus crucified.


David

Pretoria, South Africa

The cleansing stream I see, I see;

I plunge, and O it cleanseth me!

O PRAISE THE LORD! it cleanses me!

It cleanseth me, yes cleanseth me.

I have recently struggled a bit with desires for the temporary things of this world like fame, and I am not sure if the Lord was having the first place in my heart. Oh Lord Jesus.

But by His Word (John17:17) and by His blood and by realizing Christ dwells now in my spirit (He is enthroned there), I feel refreshed, full of joy and faith and in fellowship with the Lord again. Jesus is so much more beautiful than this world. Lord Jesus I love You!

May our eyes all be opened to see. Alleluia!


Alexis

New York, NY, United States

I must completely agree with the first comment; for the enemy has truly blinded the people of the world; therefore allowing them to miss the greatest vision of grace. I am so glad, that by the grace of the ever loving Father, that mine eyes were open wide to see that cleansing stream. It bids me come; so I plunged right in and now I really see how marvelous that cleansing stream was. Alleluia for Gods Grace is everlasting.


Frank Pytel

Chicago, Illinois, United States

The writer of this hymn repeatedly uses the word "see", yet the enemy of God blinds the eyes. What a mercy it is to "see"! Since I "see", I love to share the light of the gospel with others that they may "see" the wonderful cleansing that the blood of Jesus brings! I remember one time I was in a gathering of believers to sing and read the Word of God. After we had finished I went to talk to a couple who sat in the back, and they told me they really liked everything. Yet the husband said he couldn't be the same as us because God wouldn't accept him. I told him about the saving blood of Jesus, and at that moment he saw that he could be forgiven, cleansed, and accepted by God. What a wonderful freedom the blood of Jesus brings when our eyes are opened! "The cleansing stream I see, I see!"

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