Hymn Histories:

A Sunday Night Study

Opening Scripture: 1 Samuel 7:12

Introduction

Hymns are more than songs.

They are testimonies set to music.

They teach doctrine, preserve Christian history, and often reveal the personal struggles and victories of those who wrote them.

One of the most cherished hymns in the church is Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

Though written over 250 years ago, its message remains as relevant today as when it first flowed from the pen of a young preacher named Robert Robinson.

As we study this hymn, we will discover that its enduring power comes not from poetic beauty alone, but from its honest portrayal of God's grace toward wandering sinners.

I. The Man Behind the Hymn

Robert Robinson's Early Life

Robert Robinson was born in England in 1735.

Robinson's early life was turbulent:

He was born in Norfolk, England.

His father died when he was only five.

His grandfather a very wealthy man disinherited him due to his disapproval of the marriage between Roberts father and mother, leaving him only ten shillings and five pence.

He was sent to barber school by his uncle at the age of 14.

During this time he drifted into a rough crowd and became known for his rebellious behavior.

One day in May of 1752, he and several friends attended a revival being preached by the evangelist George Whitefield.

Their purpose was not worship but mockery.

Yet God had other plans.

Whitefield's message deeply convicted Robinson.

For several years he wrestled with spiritual questions before finally experiencing a genuine conversion to Christ in December 1755

Lesson

God often begins His work in the most unlikely people.

The young man who attended church intending to mock the preacher would eventually become a Baptist preacher himself and write one of Christianity's most beloved hymns.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:27

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise..."

II. The Historical Setting

The hymn was written in 1757 during the great evangelical awakening that swept through the British Iels

This revival emphasized:

Personal conversion Salvation by grace The authority of Scripture Heartfelt worship

Many people were moving away from a formal religion that focused merely on outward practice and were discovering a living relationship with Christ.

Robinson's hymn reflects this revival spirit.

Every line points to God's grace and man's dependence upon it.

III. God: The Source of Every Blessing

Verse One: Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

The word "fount" means fountain or source.

Robinson begins by recognizing a truth every believer must learn:

Every good thing comes from God.

Our salvation comes from Him.

Our strength comes from Him.

Our hope comes from Him.

Our future comes from Him.

Scripture: James 1:17

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..."

Notice the phrase:

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Just as a musical instrument must be tuned before it can produce beautiful music, our hearts must be continually tuned by God.

Application

Many of our struggles begin when our hearts drift out of tune with God.

Prayer, worship, and Scripture are God's means of tuning our hearts once again.

IV. "Here I Raise Mine Ebenezer"

The Most Misunderstood Line

Here I raise mine Ebenezer

Many Christians sing these words without knowing their meaning.

The reference comes from 1 Samuel 7.

After God delivered Israel from its enemies, the prophet Samuel erected a memorial stone.

He named it Ebenezer, meaning:

"Stone of Help."

Samuel declared: “Hitherto hath the LORD helped us."

Robinson is essentially saying:

"I am building a memorial of gratitude because God has brought me this far."

Application

Every Christian should have spiritual Ebenezers.

Spiritual stones, that remind us of moments we should remember:

The day we were saved.

The prayers God answered.

The trials God carried us through.

The times His grace sustained us.

When we remember God's faithfulness in the past, we gain confidence for the future.

V. The Shepherd Who Seeks the Wanderer

Verse Two: Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God

This is the testimony of every believer.

We often think we found Christ.

The Bible teaches that Christ first sought us.

Scripture: Luke 19:10

We love Him because He first loved us

Robinson remembered what he had been before conversion.

He was not merely uninformed.

He was wandering.

He was lost.

Yet Christ pursued him.

Application

Our testimony is not about how well we searched for God. For there is none that seeketh after God!

It is about how faithfully God searched for us.

VI. The Honesty That Makes the Hymn Endure

Verse Three: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.

These may be the most famous lines in the hymn.

Why?

Because they are painfully honest.

Robinson understood something about the human heart.

Even after conversion, believers still struggle.

We battle temptation.

We battle discouragement.

We battle spiritual complacency.

The Christian life is not a life free from struggle.

It is a life sustained by grace.

Application

One of Satan's greatest lies is that faithful Christians never struggle.

The truth is that every believer knows what it means to feel the pull of wandering.

The difference is not our strength.

The difference is God's preserving grace.

VII. The Final Prayer

The hymn concludes: Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.

This is a prayer of surrender.

Robinson knew he could not keep himself.

He asks God to do what only God can do.

He asks God to preserve him.

Scripture

Philippians 1:6"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

The Christian's confidence is not in his ability to hold onto God.

His confidence is in God's ability to hold onto him.

Conclusion

The message of Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing can be summarized in three simple truths:

1. God Is the Source of Every Blessing

Everything we have comes from His gracious hand.

2. We Are Prone to Wander

Even sincere believers experience weakness and struggle.

3. God's Grace Is Greater Than Our Wandering

The God who sought us is the God who keeps us.

Closing Challenge

Take a moment this week to identify your own "Ebenezer."

Remember where God found you.

Remember how He has led you.

Remember the prayers He has answered.

Remember the grace that has carried you this far.

And then join Robert Robinson in saying:

"Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by Thy help I'm come."

For the same God who has helped us thus far is the God who will faithfully lead us home.

Closing Prayer

"Father, we thank You for being the fountain of every blessing. Thank You for seeking us when we were wandering far from You. Thank You for Your grace that sustains us day by day. Help us remember Your faithfulness, raise our Ebenezers of gratitude, and trust You to keep us until the day we stand in Your presence. In Jesus' name, Amen."