Robert Robinson – Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is an American holiday born out of a harvest festival and cemented by George Washington in his 1789 Thanksgiving proclamation.  It was originally on November 26th, dedicated to thanking God for His blessings on the United States and to come together, for God to pardon our sins, and come together as a nation as one under God.  I found this part to be fascinating, reminding me of James 1:27:

“To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue,”

Abraham Lincoln in 1863 declared it a national holiday.  It would be a day of “thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

As we spend time with our families, let us not become swayed by the onslaught of consumerism, remembering to be thankful for all that God has done for us.  It is my hope that my review of Robert Robinson’s famous hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, written at the rip old age of 22, helps us all to have an attitude of gratitude.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

Robinson describes the wonder and majesty that is God’s living, redeeming water.  He asks God to change his stony heart, where he was dead in sin and sorrowful in spirit, responding with praise for Jesus’ sacrificial love towards him and his eventual undeserved inheritence in God’s kingdom.  He cannot fathom how deep and wide God’a love is for him, that God would save him in the midst of his rebellion.  Christ’s burdens are much easier than slavery to sin, with Robinson bound instead to righteousness.  He will see the face of God after he dies, forever praising Him for His goodness.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

This song is public domain.

Since it does not contain a Verse/Chorus/Bridge structure, I will assign stanza’s to each paragraph.

[Stanza 1]

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

God is the living water to which the blessings of a life with God flow (Jeremiah 17:13, Zechariah 14:8-9, John 4:7-26, John 7:37-39, Acts 2:1-13, Revelation 7:13-17 (compare with Revelation 6:9-11), Revelation 21:6-7, and Revelation 22:1-5 ).

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

That is, the process of God’s transformation of our hearts from stone to flesh (Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 31:33, and Hebrews 8:10).

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

References Lamentations 3:22-23.

Call for songs of loudest praise.

The Psalms call for us to sing loudly in Psalm 33:3, Psalm 95:1-2, and Psalm 98:4.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.

That is, God’s new song placed into one’s own oral-cavity (Psalm 40:3).

Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

That is, the mountain that is Calvary.  This is not praising the mountain itself, but praising God for Christ’s sacrifice (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, John 19:30, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).

[Stanza 2]

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,

We walk in deadness of sin until God rescues us, granting us life with Him (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24 ).

Yet from what I do inherit,

As an adopted son of the Most High God (John 1:12-13, John 14:18, Romans 8:14-17, Romans 8:23, Romans 9:1-8, Galatians 3:26, Galatians 4:5-7, Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 2:11-22, Hebrews 9:15, and 1 John 3:1-3), Robinson will receive his inheritance (Matthew 25:34, Acts 20:32, Romans 8:17, Galatians 3:29, Titus 3:7, James 2:5, and 1 Peter 1:4).

Here Thy praises I’ll begin;

Combined with the previous line, Robinson refers to eternal praise post Christ’s second coming (Nehemiah 9:5, Psalm 30:12, Psalm 52:9, Psalm 86:12, Psalm 89:1, Psalm 115:18, Psalm 145:1-2, Psalm 145:21, and Revelation 5:9-13).

Here I raise my Ebenezer;

In 1 Samuel 7:1-11, the Philistines came after the Israelites in Mizpah.  Upon the Lord’s rescue, confusing the  Philistine army, Samuel set a stone between Mizpah and Shen, naming it Ebenezer, which means “The Lord has helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12).  To raise one’s own Ebenezer means to praise God for helping us.

Here by Thy great help I’ve come;

Robinson recognizes God as the One who rescues him (Philippians 2:5-11).

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Robinson hopes to gain eternal life with God by trusting in Jesus (Mark 10:29-30, John 3:15-16, John 3:36, John 4:14, John 5:24, John 5:39-40, John 6:27, John 6:40, John 10:28, John 17:3, John 20:31, Romans 5:21, Romans 6:22-23, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Galatians 6:8, 1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:11 , Hebrews 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 John 2:23-27, 1 John 5:10-13, 1 John 5:20, Jude 1:20-21, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 7:16-17, and Revelation 21:3-4).

[Stanza 3]

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;

That is, Christ died for Robinson while he was a filthy lawbreaker (Romans 5:6-8).

He, to rescue me from danger,

See commentary on Stanza 2, line 6.

Interposed His precious blood;

That is, substitutionary atonement, paid for by Christ’s shed blood (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, John 19:30, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).

How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,

If greater love is he that lays down his life for his friends (John 15:13), how much more is Christ’s dying for His enemies?

Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me

We live in mortal bodies till we die.

I cannot proclaim it well.

Moses thought the same thing (Exodus 4:10), but I think you’re doing great so far, Mr. Robinson!

[Stanza 4]

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!

What kind of debtor is grace?  Light and easy, compared to slavery to sin (Matthew 11:28-30).

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Leaving slavery to sin, Robinson becomes a servant of God; a slave to righteousness (Romans 6:15-23).

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;

This is the flesh that often entices Robinson to sin (Jeremiah 17:9, Mark 7:21-22, and James 1:14-15).

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Robinson is marked as God’s property (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).   This is often where modern versions end the song.

[Stanza 5]

O that day when freed from sinning,

That is, when Robinson dies and is separated from his flesh.

I shall see Thy lovely face;

References Revelation 22:4, occurring post Christ’s second coming.

Clothèd then in blood washed linen

Christ’s robe of choice during His second coming (Revelation 19:13).

How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;

Praise offered to God.

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

A prayer offered to Christ to come and establish His new kingdom.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

This song is a well-established Christian hymn, so there’s little doubt that its Christianity will be lost on unbelievers.  Having said that, what of the message Robinson communicates?  It seems esoteric to me, utilizing vibrant and colorful words to describe his concepts.  Though I can appreciate his linguistic prowess, I suspect that many non-Christians will be lost in their attempt to figure him out, unless they have a good grasp on basic Christian theology.

Score: 4/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God, placing mankind in their proper place and God as our savior.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Robert Robinson’s Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is a worthy worship song, deserving all of its replays, covers, and accolades that come with it.  Robert Robinson communicates the Gospel message and man’s response of eternal praise, which glorifies God, but will mystify many non-Christians.  Still, the articulate matter by which this then-22 year old expresses himself is beautifully written.

I highly recommend this song for any worship service that is not seeker-sensitive.

Final Score: 9/10

Artist Info

Track: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (listen to Chris Rice’s version)

Artist: Robert Robinson

Album: N/A

Genre: Hymn

Release Year: 1757

Duration: N/A

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

Updates:

03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.  Also, fixed several spelling errors.