 The
Background behind one of my favorite hymns... "Come
Thou Fount of Every Blessing"
Born in 1735, seventeen year old Robert Robinson ran
the streets of London in gangs, caring not for
anything spiritual. He was just a small boy when his
dad died. 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 still very young.
Without a father to guide and steady him, Robert
fell in with bad companions.
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, Robert Robinson, half serious
and half in fun, decided to go to a tent meeting to
hear the Methodist preacher George Whitefield. To
cover his “weak” urge, 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.
Finally, at the age of twenty, Robert made peace
with God and immediately set out to become a
preacher himself. He wrote a letter to George
Whitefield and told him that he envied the happiness
that he saw on the faces of those people in that
tent. Two years later, in 1757, he wrote a hymn
which expressed his joy in his new faith: Come Thou
Fount of every blessing
Years later Robert did wander away
from God. In a spiritually backslidden condition,
Robert was traveling in a stage coach 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.
The Streams of Mercy are still
flowing
We need to hear this message, beloved of God!
To the one who has felt disconnected… or ashamed… or
just “in a rut,” The Streams of Mercy are still
flowing!
To a world that is host to enormous amounts of
suffering. Suffering due to war caused by Mankind.
Suffering due to greed adopted by Mankind. Suffering
and grief due to sickness and death. We need to hear
that the Streams of Mercy are still flowing!
The Streams of Mercy are still
flowing! This is an objective reality that
transcends time and place. The streams of mercy flow
even when we do not recognize them, see them, or
feel the presence of God in our lives. The good news
is that our subjective experience, does not
overshadow God’s transcendent plan!
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The Streams of Mercy are still
flowing because The Creator of Mercy does not give
up on His creation! We see this from Genesis through
Revelation… God works throughout scripture to form a
people for Himself… to form a family or community…
to adopt, cleanse, and redeem that community. As the
old song says: “The Love of God is Greater Far than
Tongue or Pen could ever Tell! It goes beyond the
highest star and reaches to the lowest hell.”
Revelation 22 gives us a beautiful image of these
streams of mercy… culminating into a grand river of
life! “Then the angel showed me a river with the
water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the
throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the
center of the main street. On each side of the river
grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit,
with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used
for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will
there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of
God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants
will worship him. And they will see his face, and
his name will be written on their foreheads. And
there will be no night there—no need for lamps or
sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they
will reign forever and ever.”
Mercy, grace, and life flow from the source, and
that source is not going anywhere… God the Father…
God the Son, Jesus Christ! The streams of mercy have
become a mighty river of salvation due to the
sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross… due to the empty
tomb on Easter Sunday! Jesus carried or took our
sins upon himself on the cross, reconciling us to
God… Jesus conquered death and opened the gates to
everlasting life through his resurrection… and the
streams came together and became the grand river of
life nourishing the Tree of Life!
In this chapter, the fruit of the tree of life is
never out of season! No nation or color or language
is excluded! Death, the great curse, will be no
more! God’s people will exist the way we were
created to exist in intimate communion and in full
authentic worship. We will experience what it feels
like, and what it means, to be God’s treasured
possession in a way that we cannot understand now.
And light will shine… this light is the light of
full knowledge… this light is the light of full
safety… this light is the light of full exposure
(nothing hidden)... this light is the light of full
life! The Lord God will be our light!
My dear friends, the streams of mercy are still
flowing, never ceasing, calling for songs of loudest
praise, leading us to find rest and purpose and
forgiveness and belonging within the person of work
of Jesus, the Messiah and within His Church, taking
us to the river of life. Robert Robinson needed to
hear that message. This is a message we all need to
hear and embrace on a regular basis.
Thanks be to God, Amen!
Ryan Edgecombe
Broadwell Christian Church
Central Presbyterian - Petersburg
*Preached at the Lincoln Railsplitter Festival 2024
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