I Have a Hope

I chose this hymn to study for the title alone. The hymn was unfamiliar to me. One of my favorite Scripture verses is Psalm 71:14: “But as for me, I will always have HOPE; I will praise you more and more.”

I write many words about HOPE. It’s what fills me with the strength and courage to face each new day. God’s HOPE thrills my soul.

“Reliable HOPE is Jesus! In His life, death, and resurrection, your life is infused with HOPE . . . The One who is HOPE has infused my life with HOPE . . . To find HOPE, find Him.” Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies.

The words to this hymn are simple. I couldn’t find a video on YouTube. There were many videos with that title, but when I watched them, the words were different.

Charles Wesley Naylor was the writer of this hymn. From his bed of affliction came some of the most encouraging songs that have ever been written, as well as books such as “Heart Talks,” and “The Secret of the Singing Heart.” In “The Secret of the Singing Heart”: he wrote: “The secret of the singing heart consists in learning to be what we ought to be and in holding the attitude we ought to hold toward life. It consists in learning to adjust ourselves to our circumstances and to be happy in those circumstances . . . It consists in walking with God, believing in Him, and acting out that belief day by day. Doing this we shall ever be blessed.”

Naylor was born on January 8, 1874, in Athens County, Ohio. His mother died when he was eight years old, and he went to live with his grandparents. At the age of nineteen he left the Methodist Church for the Church of God. He worked for a while at the Gospel Trumpet Company in Grand Junction, Michigan and on some evangelistic tours.

He was seriously injured in 1908, dislocating a kidney and other internal injuries while helping to remove some timbers under a tent at a meeting in Sidney, Florida. A short time later he was injured again in a bus accident. In 1909 he took to his bed, where he remained until his death in 1950, having spent nearly 41 years as an invalid. His body was laid to rest in the Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, Indiana.

Naylor spoke the song lyrics and thoughts the Lord gave him for articles and books into an Ediphone Wax Cylinder dictating machine. The machine recorded them, then someone would transcribe them for publication.

He is considered one of the most prolific and inspiring songwriters of the Church of God (based in Anderson, Indiana) writing 150 songs. Despite being bedridden, he wrote eight books, a column for the newspaper, a column for “The Gospel Trumpet”, and articles for the Church of God youth magazine, “Young People’s Friend.”

Naylor knew the experience of long and intense suffering with no hope of relief from any human source, and with no other prospect for the future than that of remaining a helpless invalid for life. He learned to trust God for the supply of his temporal needs because there was no other to trust. He learned to commune with God by being deprived of the opportunity of mingling much with his fellow men.

Yet he did not lose the joy out of life. He built up the kingdom of God with his words of good cheer. He demonstrated the efficacy of God's grace to sustain one and give joy in the very discouraging circumstances of life.

Verse One

“I have a hope, serene and sure,

That anchors past the veil;

In all the storms it holds secure,

Nor will it ever fail.”

Hebrews 6:19

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain”

Biblehub.com, Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible: This world is as a sea; the church in it, and so every believer, is as a ship; the port that is bound unto is heaven; Christ is the pilot, and hope is the anchor . . . Christ is often called hope itself, because He is the ground and foundation of it, and Who is at present unseen to bodily eyes; and the anchor of hope without the cable of faith is of little service; but being cast aright on Christ, keeps the soul steady and immovable . . . when hope is in exercise; the anchor of hope is not cast on anything below, but above; and here it is called the anchor of the soul, to distinguish it from any other, and to show the peculiar benefit of it to the soul.

Psalm 107:29

“He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.”

Studylight.org, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible: God does this, and God only can do it. The fact, therefore, that Jesus did it proves that he was Divine. There can be no more striking proof of Divine power than the ability to calm the raging waves of the ocean by a word. This is literally, “He places the tempest to silence.”

Verse Two

“I have a hope that looks away,

From present woes and tears;

To heaven’s bright eternal day,

Till sorrow disappears.”

Hebrews 12:1-2

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Biblehub.com, Benson Commentary: As all who run a race take care to do; let us throw off whatever weighs us down, or damps the vigor of our souls, especially all worldly afflictions and delights; all worldly hopes, fears, cares, and friendships; whatever would encumber us in running, would impede our progress, or draw us from our duty.

Verse Three

“I have a hope that doth not fear,

The silent grave to view;

Nay, doth not shrink though death appear,

For I shall live anew.”

Psalm 34:4

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.”

Bibleref.com: Believers today might fear anything from physical injury or illness, to job insecurity, to difficulties in relationships, to political collapse, to the threat of incoming nuclear missiles, and everything in between. However, faith replaces fear. The apostle Paul did not fear an upcoming trial that might result in execution, but he knew the Lord can remove all anxiety when we pray. He counseled in Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The prayer of faith and fear are mutually exclusive. While believers are not guaranteed to be taken "out of" harm's way, God has promised to see us "through" any harm

Refrain

“My hope is born of God’s own Word,

And nourished by His grace;

His promise true my soul hath heard,

And hope beholds His face.”

Hebrews 1:3

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Studylight.org, Clarke’s Commentary:  This is an astonishing description of the infinitely energetic and all pervading power of God. He spake, and all things were created; He speaks, and all things are sustained. The Jewish writers frequently express the perfection of the Divine nature by the phrases, He bears all things, both above and below; He carries all His creatures; He bears His world; He bears all worlds by His power. The Hebrews, to whom this epistle was written, would, from this and other circumstances, fully understand that the apostle believed Jesus Christ to be truly and properly God.

Job 23:12

“I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.”

Studylight.org, Contending for the Faith: Jesus, the Son of God, has all power; and His power is manifested by His Word. Jesus is not only the Creator but also the foundation, the sustainer, of the universe. By His powerful command, Jesus causes the universe to function as it does. The universe would not continue to exist if it were not that Jesus maintains it. When Jesus speaks, whatever He wants done is done; it may be to calm the winds, to raise the dead, to heal the lame, to forgive sin, or it may involve the creation of the world. Nature and science obey His words. The phrase "upholding all things by the Word of His power" presents an astounding portrayal of the infinitely energetic and all-encompassing power of God.

Remember these words: “Reliable HOPE is Jesus! In His life, death, and resurrection, your life is infused with HOPE . . . The One who is HOPE has infused my life with HOPE . . . To find HOPE, find Him.” Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies

Jesus Christ, our living HOPE!

  

I am indebted to the following resources:

Hymnary.org

Songsoftheeveninglight.com

Christiansong-lyrics.com

Hymntime.com

Biblehub.com

By His Grace . . .

 

This is My Father's World

It is told that Maltbie Davenport Babcock writer of “This is My Father’s World” took “morning walks to the top of a hill north of town where he had a full view of Lake Ontario and the surrounding country.” It was said that he had a frequent expression before leaving for these walks, “I’m going out to see my Father’s world.”

One of the leading Presbyterian ministers of his generation, Maltbie Davenport Babcock, writer of “This is My Father’s World,” penned this hymn with such concrete language that even children can understand its message at a basic level. He followed Dr. Henry Van Dyke, author of the hymn “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” as the minister of Brick Presbyterian Church.

Maltbie Davenport Babcock' was born in Syracuse, New York, eldest son of Henry and Emily Babcock. His first American ancestor was James Babcock, a native of England, who immigrated in 1642, settling first at Portsmouth, Rhode Island and then in Westerly, where his descendants became prominent.

Maltbie Babcock was educated in the public schools of Syracuse. As a young man, Babcock was described as “tall and broad-shouldered” and a muscular swimmer and baseball player.

He graduated in 1879 from Syracuse University with highest honors. He played baseball on the University's ball team and was a member of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity. He was selected to give the Alumni Address in 1895. He studied theology at the Auburn Theological Seminary receiving his degree there in 1882.

On October 4, 1882, he married Katherine Eliot Tallman, the youngest daughter of John Peck Higgins Tallman, a prominent lawyer of Poughkeepsie, New York. They had two children, both of whom died in infancy.

Upon receiving his degree in theology in 1882, Babcock became pastor of a church at Lockport, New York. He was described as having "an unusually brilliant intellect and stirring oratorical powers that commanded admiration, [that] won for him a foremost place among the favorites of his denomination."

Babcock also served at Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Maryland. He led a fund-raising effort to assist Jewish refugees from Russia and was honored with a Doctor of Divinity degree from Syracuse University.

Babcock was preeminently a preacher. He was a clear thinker and a fluent speaker, with a marvelous personal magnetism which appealed to all classes of people, and the influence of which became in a sense national. His theology was broad and deep, yet without a touch of present-day uncertainty. Added to the genius of spirituality he had the genius of work, and it was owing to his unselfish devotion to the great work of uplifting mankind that he literally wore himself out and died at the early age of forty-two.

When he was forty-two, his church presented him with a special gift, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. With great excitement, Babcock departed by ship. While in route at Naples, Italy, he was seized with a deadly bacterial fever and died at the International Hospital in 1901.

After his death, his wife compiled his writings into a book entitled, “Thoughts for Everyday Living,” published in 1901. Included was Maltbie’s “This is My Father’s World.”

One of his poems gives insight into his approach to life: “We are not here to play, to dream, to drift, We have hard work to do, and loads to lift, Shun not the struggle; face it; ’Tis God’s gift.”

For Babcock, nature was not only a visual spectacle, but an aural experience. Perhaps the author’s skill as a musician contributed to the many auditory images: “listening ears” and “nature sings” and “birds their carols raise” and “rustling grass.”

Verse One

“This is my Father's world,

And to my listening ears,

All nature sings, and round me rings,

The music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world:

I rest me in the thought,

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;

His hand the wonders wrought.”

Hebrews 2:4

“God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.”

Studylight.org, Dr. Constable’s Expository Notes: God testified to His approval of Christ’s preaching and the apostles’ preaching about Christ by providing authenticating miracles that showed God was with them . . .  "Signs" emphasizes that the miracles signify something. "Wonders" emphasizes the reaction of awe that the miracles produced in those who observed them. "Miracles" emphasizes their supernatural origin and "gifts" the graciousness of God in providing them. The writer intended that reference to these miracles would bolster the readers’ confidence in the gospel that they had received.

Job 37:14

“Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders.”

Studylight.org, Clarke’s Commentary: The wondrous works of God. — Endless in their variety; stupendous in their structure; complicated in their parts; indescribable in their relations and connections; and incomprehensible in the mode of their parts, and in the ends of their creation.

Verse Two

“This is my Father's world,

The birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white,

Declare their Maker's praise.

This is my Father's world,

He shines in all that's fair;

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;

He speaks to me everywhere.”

Psalm 50:1

“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets.”

Biblehub.com, The Treasury of David: "The Mighty God, even the Lord" - El, Elohim, Jehovah, three glorious names for the God of Israel. To render the address the more impressive, these titles are mentioned, just as in royal decrees the names and dignities of monarchs are placed in the forefront. Here the true God is described as Almighty, as the only and perfect object of adoration and as the self-existent One, "Hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun until the going down thereof." The dominion of Jehovah extends over the whole earth, and therefore to all mankind is His decree directed. The east and the west are bidden to hear the God who makes his sun to rise on every quarter of the globe.

Verse Three

“This is my Father's world.

O let me ne'er forget,

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father's world:

Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!

God reigns; let the earth be glad!”

Psalm 93

“The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.”

Biblehub.com, Benson Commentary: He is the King and Governor, not only of Israel, but of the whole world, as the last clause of the verse expounds it; and accordingly He will, in His due time, set up His empire over all nations . . . It was the psalmist’s glory and confidence that, though the nations boasted of the power and splendor of their kings, and trusted to their military preparations, yet the Lord, the great Jehovah, the God of Israel, still reigned.

Biblestudytools.com: The King Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true Jehovah. God over all, the Lord God omnipotent: He has reigned, He was set up as King from everlasting; He reigned throughout the whole Old Testament dispensation; He was promised, and prophesied of, as a King; He came as such, in human nature, into the world, though His kingdom was not with observation; when He ascended to heaven, He was made or declared Lord and Christ, and was crowned with glory and honor; He now reigns in the hearts of His people, by His Spirit and grace; and, ere long, He will take to Himself His great power, and reign more manifestly; when the kingdoms of this world shall become His, and He shall be King over all the earth; and this His government will be still more apparent when He shall come in person, and reign with His saints on earth a thousand years; and, after that, for ever and ever, in heaven.

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

Umcdiscipleship.org

Dianaleaghmatthews.com

Godtube.com

En.wikipedia.org

Hymnologyarchive.com

Robert J. Morgan, Then Sings My Soul

By His Grace . . . 

All Creatures of Our God and King

“All Creatures of Our God and King” was written by Francis of Assisi shortly before his death in 1225. On first hearing the title one might assume the hymn is about animals. But the hymn focuses on the elements of nature: sun, moon, wind, water, music, light and fire. As a great lover of nature, Saint Francis of Assisi saw the hand of God in all creation. He demonstrated through his own life the tender, humble, forgiving spirit and absolute trust in God that his hymn urges others.

Giovanni di Bernadone, born in 1182, nicknamed ‘Francesco’ by his father, was raised in a wealthy household. Francis led a carefree life participating in various revelries of the day. He joined a military expedition fighting as a soldier for Assisi and was taken prisoner, spending a year in captivity while also suffering illness. During this time Francis had a vision that directed him back to Assisi, where he lost all interest in that which he once enjoyed.

Through several personal experiences he came to desire a life of poverty, charity, and discipleship. According to legend, he was selling goods for his father in the marketplace when a beggar came asking for alms. Francis abandoned his wares and ran after the poor man giving him everything he had in his pockets. His father was troubled and angry at the exchange. His friends also began noticing a change in Francis and jokingly asked if he was “thinking of marrying” to which he responded “Yes, a fairer bride than any of you have ever seen,” meaning his “Lady Poverty.”

On a pilgrimage to Rome in 1205, he joined the poor in begging at the doors of churches. He had a vision of Christ saying to him, “Francis, Francis, go and repair My house which, as you can see, is falling into ruins.” He took this to mean the church in which he was presently praying and sold some cloth from his father’s store to assist the priest there. His father, angered once more, tried changing his mind—first through threats, then beatings. After this exchange, Francis renounced his father and embraced, even more, the life of a penitent.

He attracted a following of sympathetic Christians in the area of Assisi. On or around September 14, 1224, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, he had a vision and received a phenomenon known as the “stigmata,” the “wounds of Christ.” This and a problem with his eye led him to seek medical assistance, eventually returning to a small chapel in Assisi known as the Porziuncola, where he spent the remainder of his days.

Throughout his life Saint Francis appreciated the importance of church music and encouraged singing in his monastery. He wrote more than 60 hymns for this purpose. The beautiful expressions of praise in “All Creatures of Our God and King” have endured throughout the centuries.

St. Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. Although never ordained to the Catholic priesthood, he is one of the most revered religious figures in history.

To this day, St. Francis of Assisi is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment. He is also known for his love of the Eucharist, his sorrow during the Stations of the Cross, and for creating the Christmas crèche or Nativity Scene. Legends about him abound and various stories, prayers, and visions are attributed to him.

In Francis’ last days, he became virtually blind and unable to endure daylight. The first woman to follow his call, Sister Clara, built him a small reed hut in the garden of her convent where he could live out the rest of his days. He began to dictate his spiritual testament there. It is said that Francis could be heard preaching to the birds, urging them to praise God. Those who walked by could also hear faint melodies coming from within the hut. It was at a meal with the sisters that he wrote the text “Canticle of the Sun” or “Song of All Creatures,” later paraphrased into the beloved hymn that we sing today. He died on the evening of October 3, 1226, while singing Psalm 142.

Verse One

“All creatures of our God and King,

Lift up your voice and with us sing,

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou burning sun with golden beam,

Thou silver moon with softer gleam!”

Psalm 148:3

“Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.”

Biblehub.com, Gill’s Exposition of the entire Bible: The sun praises the Lord, the Creator of it, by doing the work constantly it is appointed to do; to rule by day, and give light and heat to the earth, and the inhabitants of it; and so is the cause of man's praising the Lord for the benefits they receive from it; for its enlightening, warming, and refreshing rays; and for the precious fruits brought forth by it and so the moon likewise doing its office, ruling by night, and reflecting the light of the sun upon the earth, and producing precious fruits, also praises its Maker, and is the occasion, of others praising Him.

Verse Two

“Thou rushing wind that art so strong,

Ye clouds that sail in heav’n along,

O praise Him! Alleluia!

Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,

Ye lights of evening, find a voice!”

Psalm 104:3

“And lays the beams of His upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds His chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.”

Enduringword.com: The God of all creation can build and do what no one else can. He does not share the limitations of the creation; He makes the clouds His chariot and He walks on the wings of the wind . . . The picture described is full of activity and excitement. “The metaphor of His taking up its parts and powers as His robe, tent, palace and chariot invites us to see the world as something He delights in, which is charged with His energy and alive with His presence.” (Kidner) . . . “The Lord is surrounded by His servants, whether they be created like the angels or be powers inherent in His created order (winds, lightning). The Creator-King is, as it were, driving His chariot, symbolic of His governance of His creation.” (VanGemeren)

Verse Three

“Thou flowing water, pure and clear,

Make music for thy Lord to hear,

O praise Him! Alleluia!

Thou fire so masterful and bright,

That givest man both warmth and light.”

Psalm 104:4

“He makes winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.”

Biblehub.com, Barnes’ Notes on the Bible: Fire is employed by Him - in lightnings - to accomplish His purpose as His ministers or His servants. They are entirely under His command. They are sent by Him to do His will; to carry out His designs. This is intended to describe the majesty and the power of God - that He can employ wind and lightning - tempest and storm - to go on errands such as He commands; to fulfill His plans; to do His bidding. For the application of this to the angels, and as employed by the apostle Paul to prove the inferiority of the angels to the Messiah.

Verse Four

“And all ye men of tender heart,

Forgiving others, take your part,

O praise Him! Alleluia!

Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,

Praise God and on Him cast your care!”

Psalm 55:22

“Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.”

Enduringword.com: “The experience of suffering was not taken away from the servant of God, but he was sustained, and so made strong enough to resist its pressure, and through it to make His service more perfect. This is how God ever sustains us in the bearing of burdens.” (Morgan) . . . “If I cast my burden upon the Lord, what business have I to carry it myself? How can I truthfully say that I have cast it upon Him if still I am burdened with it?” (Spurgeon)

1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.”

Bibleref.com: [Peter} tells us to take all our anxieties, everything that worries us, and to give it to the God who cares so deeply for us. This is not a promise that God will fix everything which worries us. God is not obligated to follow whatever script we write for Him. It's a promise that the mighty God will receive our worries, and care about them. He will carry them for us. He is trustworthy to handle them in the way that is best.

Refrain

“O praise Him! O praise Him!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!”

Psalm 150

“Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with the strings and pipe, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”

Studylight.org, The Pulpit commentaries: Bishop Wordsworth notes that all kinds of faculty are engaged in the work of praise. The breath is employed in blowing the trumpet; the fingers are used in striking the strings of the psaltery and the harp; the whole hand is exerted in beating the timbrel; the feet move in the dance. The introduction of various musical instruments, as well as choirs of human voices, into the regular worship of the tabernacle and temple, is traceable to the time and probably to the personal influence of David. It is interesting, but only a matter of curiosity, to identify and describe the different instruments mentioned here. We need only see that they include all the musical instruments—wind, string, and clanging. The point to fix attention on is that, when a man wants to praise God, he may bring into his service every kind of power that he possesses, and every agency through which he can find expression for his power.

“Praise happens as a result of being forgiven, or finding an incredible insight, being filled with the Holy Spirit, or just experiencing the joy of our salvation. We can’t just conger up praise and make it happen. But when we experience God’s faithfulness, we can’t stop praise from pouring forth. It is not a posture or a position. It is the result of God’s reality breaking through to our dull awareness and making us new again and again. it is removing the obstacles in our own communications with God so that He can be the loving Father he always is. It is gratitude for what God is in our lives this day.” Gloria Gaither, Lovesongtomylife.com, Unstoppable Praise

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

Dianaleaghmatthews.com

Anglicancompass.com, Keisha Valentina

Believersportal.com

En.wikipedia.org

Hymnologyarchive.com, Chris Fenner

Hymnary.org, John Julian

By His Grace

 

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

It is an unfortunate turn of events when a young boy is forced to grow up without a loving father. Thus was Robert Robinson’s fate, writer of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." His dad passed away when he was only eight years of age. Robinson was born in 1735, to Mary Wilkin and Michael Robinson, a customs officer, in Swaffham in the county of Norfolk, a market town and civil parish in the English countryside.

To make Robinson’s circumstances much more difficult, his maternal grandfather, Robert Wilkin, a wealthy man, who had never reconciled himself to his daughter’s lowly marriage, disinherited his grandson and provided an inheritance for him of only ten shillings and sixpence.

In 18th century England, there was little in the way of a social welfare system, and this meant that he had to go to work while very young. Robinson’s uncle, a farmer, had sponsored Robinson’s attendance at a school in Scarning, Norfolk, under Rev. Joseph Brett. When he was fourteen, Robinson was sent to London as apprentice to Joseph Anderson, a hairdresser.

However, his knowledge was varied and extensive because he spent many hours in study. There was an adult-like quality deeply ingrained in him, and it allowed him to accept the responsibilities of adulthood, even as a teenager.

Without a father, though, to guide and steady him, Robert fell in with bad companions. At the age of seventeen he ran the streets of London in gangs, caring not for anything spiritual.

One day his gang of rowdies harassed a drunken gypsy. Pouring liquor into her, they demanded she tell their fortunes for free. Pointing her finger at Robert, she told him he would live to see his children and grandchildren. This struck a tender spot in his heart. “If I’m going to live to see my children and grandchildren,” he thought, “I’ll have to change my way of living. I can’t keep on like I’m going now.”

A few nights later, Robinson, half serious and half in fun, decided to go to a tent meeting to hear the Methodist preacher, George Whitefield. He suggested that the boys go with him and heckle the gathering. “Let’s go laugh at the deluded Methodists” was his invitation to his gang.

Whitefield preached on the text: “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Matthew 3:7. Robert left in dread, under a deep sense that George Whitefield was preaching to him alone.

Apparently, that was the planting of the seeds that would change his life. Another three years would pass before he accepted Christ into his heart, on December 10. 1755. Robinson found what he described as “full and free forgiveness through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.” The transformation was profound. The once-rowdy youth now burned with a desire to know and serve God. He traveled across England, soaking in the words of the finest gospel preachers of his day.

It was in this period of spiritual fervor, at the young age of 22, that Robinson penned the words that would touch hearts for centuries to come.

After accepting Christ, Robinson felt the call and entered the ministry, teaching himself. He served Calvinist Methodist Chapel, Norfolk, England and a Baptist church in Cambridge, England. He wrote various hymns and theological books during his career.

Robert’s spiritual path took many turns. He moved between denominations, serving as a Methodist preacher, then working with Independents, before settling for nearly thirty years as a Baptist pastor.

At one time His faith wavered, and he grappled with periods of instability and doubt. A story is told that Robinson wandered away from God. "In a spiritually backslidden condition, Robert was traveling in a stagecoach one day. His only companion was a young woman unknown to him. In the providence of God, and not realizing who it was she spoke with, the woman quoted 'Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,' saying what an encouragement it had been to her.

"Try as he might, Robinson could not get her to change the subject. She asked him what he thought of the hymn she was humming. He responded, '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.' Gently, she replied, 'Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are still flowing.' He was deeply touched by that. As a result of the encounter he repented. His fellowship with the Lord was restored through the ministry of his own hymn, and a Christian’s willing witness."

Whether or not that stagecoach encounter truly happened, it encapsulates the enduring power of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” The hymn speaks to the universal Christian experience of joy in salvation, coupled with the ongoing struggle against our sinful nature.

Robert Robinson’s life – from wayward youth to celebrated preacher, from devoted believer to doubtful wanderer – is a reminder of the very truths he penned. His words continue to resound in churches around the world, a reminder that no matter how far we stray, the Fount of every blessing calls us back.

Verse One

“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 Thy redeeming love.”

Hebrew 12:22

“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.”

Studylight.org, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible:  Heaven is represented as a magnificent city where God and angels dwelt; and the Christian revelation discloses this to Christians as certainly their final home. They should regard themselves already as dwellers in that city, and live and act as if they saw its splendor and partook of its joy . . . It is true that Christians have not yet seen that city by the physical eye, but they look to it with the eye of faith. It is revealed to them; they are permitted by anticipation to contemplate its glories, and to feel that it is to be their eternal home. They are permitted to live and act as if they saw the glorious God whose dwelling is there and were already surrounded by the angels and the redeemed. The apostle does not represent them as if they were expecting that it would be visibly set up on the earth, but as being now actually dwellers in that city, and bound to live and act as if they were amidst its splendors.

Proverbs 18:15

“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.”

Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: The well-spring of wisdom in the heart of a believer, continually supplies words of wisdom . . . The Divine power, made known in and through our Lord Jesus Christ, forms a strong tower for the believer, who relies on the Lord.

Verse Two

“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,

1 Samuel 7:12

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’”

Studylight.org, Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible: And Samuel took a stone, and set it, not for worship, but as a monument of the victory obtained by the help of God: and this he placed between Mizpeh and Shen; which latter signifies a tooth, and designs the precipice of a rock which juts out, and hangs over in the form of one: and called the name of it Ebenezer; which signifies "the stone of help"; and is the same place which by anticipation has this name, so that in the selfsame place where the Israelites were twice beaten by the Philistines, and the ark taken, was this salvation wrought for them.

Verse Three

“O to grace how great a debtor,

Daily I’m constrained to be.

Let Thy goodness like a fetter,

Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love.

Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it.

Proverbs 3:3

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: Solomon wisely told his son to keep God’s loyal love and truth close. They should be so close that it would be as if they were a necklace on him at all times (bind them around your neck) and written on the tablet of your heart . . . “Striking expressions for glorying in, meditating on and acting by these principles.” (Kidner) “By ‘binding’ and ‘writing’ the teacher is stressing that the teachings become a part of the disciple’s nature.” (Ross)

  

I am indebted to the following resources:

Dianaleaghmatthew.com

Cocdiscipleship.org

Hymncharts.com, Don Chapman

Enjoyingthejourney.org, Micah Hendry

En.wikipedia.org

By His Grace . . .