Hymn Highlight: Come Thou Fount of Ev'ry Blessing

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing was written in 1758 by Robert Robinson, a British clergyman. Robinson began his adult life as an irreligious hairdresser but heard a sermon by the lauded George Whitefield in 1752. After two years of considering the Whitefield sermon, Robinson was converted in 1755. He quickly began to preach and joined the ranks of the Calvinistic Methodists in England as an itinerant preacher. Soon after, he became a Baptist pastor, leading a local congregation for close to 20 years. In 1780, however, Robinson began to be convinced of Unitarian doctrine, unfortunately. He died in 1790 while attempting to arrange for his resignation from his church.

While Robert Robinson slid into apparent heresy, affirming Unitarianism, early in his ministry he penned one of the most well-known hymns in Christian culture, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” The theme of the song is that God is the fount, or source, of every blessing. As such, our needs to be tuned to praise this fount, singing of his grace for all our days.

The first verse explores the themes of God’s praiseworthy action of redeeming sinners. These streams of mercy will never run dry because God himself is the source of grace for the believer. Our eyes are fixed on the mountain of God’s love, as it is our only hope in life and death.

The second verse reminds the singer that we were saved while we were far off. Left to our own, natural desires, we are “wandering from the fold of God.” But God, in his great love, rescued us from our own sin and its death by the blood of Jesus.

In the third verse, we’re reminded that throughout our lives we’re prone to wander from God. But through the sanctifying love of God, our hearts are sealed and kept for all time, and will be brought into his “courts above.”

Bob Kauflin added a fourth verse recently, and it absolutely packs a punch. Kauflin brings us into our great eschatological hope. “On that day,” we will be freed from sinning, and will see God’s lovely face. The splendor of this scene is captured well in the last few lines, and we how we ought to expectantly wait for Christ’s second coming:

“Full arrayed in blood-washed linen

How I’ll sing Thy sov’reign grace

Come, my Lord no longer tarry

Bring Thy promises to pass

For I know Thy pow’r will keep me

Till I’m home with Thee at last!”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.