Come Thou Fount

This is an old favorite of mine. Come Thou Fount was originally published in 1758 and has since found it’s way into over 2,100 hymnals.

It was written by Robert Robinson soon after his conversion, in the early years of his preaching ministry. Having grown up without a father, he went to work as a barber apprentice as soon as he was of age. As such, he became the primary breadwinner for his family. But, all that pressure and lack of guidance had an adverse effect, and he joined a London gang. For the next few years, he lived a hard life. But God had redemption in mind and brought Robert out of his rough life and inspired him to write this song.

Come, thou Fount of every blessing;
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of God’s unchanging love!

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.

 

Robert Robinson’s story, to some degree, comes out in this song. Some of the more well known lyrics tie back to his own experiences. This song has the unique ability to connect to the Christian life in a very uplifting way. We can sing this song and be reminded in real time of God’s gracious forgiveness and acceptance of us, His steadfast love and care for us, and His boundless mercy and blessings!

As the story goes, Robinson experienced another time of wandering and leaving years after the song was published. During a stagecoach ride, he had a chance encounter with a woman who was singing or humming the tune. She asked him what he thought of it, and he answered, “Madam, I am the unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds if I had them if I could feel now as I felt then.” Her response was simple, yet caring. “Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are still flowing.” It’s said that after that encounter, his heart was softened, and he responded to God’s mercy through repentance.

So often, we don’t even realize when we’ve wandered away that we’ve wandered away. It’s subtle.

Remember that the “streams of mercy” are always flowing, from “God’s unchanging love”. Remember that “Jesus sought me when a stranger”, to “rescue me from danger”. Allow God to give “grace now, like a fetter” (a chain for restraining) and “bind my wandering heart to thee”. And submit, “my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above”.

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