The Story Behind the Hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Tonight I was looking for the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" written by Robert Robinson on youtube. I wanted to listen to it before going to sleep. Anyhow in my search for a version I would enjoy, I came across a video that was a modern reenactment of the story behind the hymn. The video didn't clearly explain the story behind the hymn so I googled it and came across a blog that explained the story well. I suggest you visit this blog. It looks like a great site for learning about the history of various hymns. http://wordwisehymns.com/2010/06/09/today-in-1790-robert-robinson-died/

To summarize, Robert Robinson was a wild youth that came to repentance listening to a George Whitefield sermon. He became a pastor and wrote a couple of hymns. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing was written in 1757. Later in life he wandered from the Lord and apparently felt he could not return. Perhaps as the the story of Pilgrim's Progress, when Christian and Hopeful were captured by Giant Despair, and taken to Doubting Castle, he too fell prey to the devil's lies and forgot for a time the Promises of God. For those who aren't familiar with Pilgrim's Progress, Christian and Hopeful escape Doubting Castle when Christian realizes he has a key called Promise, which will open all the doors and gates of Doubting Castle.

It is said that Robert Robinson too found he had a key called Promise, when years later, he was riding in a stage coach with a young woman who did not know who he was but quoted the hymn Come Thou Fount to him. He replied, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then." It is said that she responded by telling him “Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are still flowing.”

I truly hope that the account is true and that his relationship with the Lord was restored. There are plenty of people who can write songs about the Lord that are not true believers. However, if he truly believed, repented, and put his faith in the Lord when he was a younger man, then he belonged to the Lord and I have no doubt the story is true. 

In my search I found this absolutely beautiful instrumental version by Paul Cardall, whom I had never heard of before. Amazing is all I can say. Enjoy and goodnight. Shalom.

Come Thou Fount and Agnus Dei by Paul Cardall