{"id":4752,"date":"2026-05-26T11:51:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T16:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/?p=4752"},"modified":"2026-05-26T11:51:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T16:51:51","slug":"come-thou-fount-of-every-blessing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/2026\/05\/26\/come-thou-fount-of-every-blessing\/","title":{"rendered":"“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Spring 2026, Dr. Laura Carroll\u2019s ENGL 325: Advanced Composition students were challenged to engage Special Collections broadly, and, more specifically, with the hymnal collection. Each student wrote a research paper on a topic inspired by the hymnal collection. Their research included databases, interviews, library print resources, and data collection. Today we welcome ACU student Mikhail Fortner to the blog. Read on to learn more about his research.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cCome Thou Fount of Every Blessing\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

This research paper is centered on the proposition \u201cHow does the historical context of 18th century hymn writing contribute to the composition of \u201cCome Thou Fount of Every Blessing?\u201d There was a scarcity of online material directly regarding the writer of the hymn, Robert Robinson. Baptist church history journals proved the most useful for the biography of Robinson. However, there were quite a few journals regarding how Charles Wesley and Isaac Watts shaped hymn composition during that time, one from a church history journal and a couple from theological and philosophical journals.<\/p>\n

The paper originally was centered around Robinson\u2019s biography, life, and any supplementary material directly regarding the hymn. However, most of the research focused on the theological significance in the wording of the hymn\u2019s lyrics. The English Renaissance particularly shaped the literary and theological scene, as Calvinistic and Arminian themes abounded within this hymn. Research shows that Watt\u2019s emphasis on transcendence reflects the emphasis of the Holy Spirit in the hymn. Additionally, Wesley\u2019s influence is prominent in the emphasis of atonement and the theme of invitation. The title of the hymn itself could be inspired by his sermons.<\/p>\n

The division of the Stoneyard church at which Robinson was preaching served as motivation for the composition of his hymn, highlighting the united power of the Holy Spirit and the need for grace. His hymn was composed to the tune \u201cNettleton\u201d by John Wyeth; a possible original title to the song could have been \u201cHallelujah\u201d or \u201cGood Shepherd\u201d (Hymnary.org). \u201cCome Thou Fount of Every Blessing\u201d is rooted in Scripture, containing references to 1 Samuel, Jeremiah, and Acts. The latter lines of the hymn provide a compelling commentary on free will and determination. The reference to fetters particularly highlights the idea that grace shackles one to the will of God, however, the hymn also hints at the idea that one allows this grace to overwhelm. The parallel to Milton was a fascinating discovery regarding man\u2019s choice to follow the righteous path or to stray.<\/p>\n

The significance of this hymn\u2019s composition mandates an examination of the process of song writing for worship. While hymns can allude to current and past literature, art, and culture, its foundation must be the Scriptures. Often, the simplest lyrics, directly paralleling or quoting Scripture, are the most impactful for the believer. Attention should be given to reexamining past hymns across denominations to seek context and meaning. The full significance of a hymn often lies beyond what is explicitly stated in the lyrics, as historical and theological contexts provide a wider scope of understanding.<\/p>\n

Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n

Berg, Daniel N. \u201cThe Theological Context of American Wesleyanism.\u201d Wesleyan Theological Journal, vol. 20, no. 1, Dec. 1985, pp. 45\u201360. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com\/linkprocessor\/plink?id=fbfa2a56-ac82-393a-934c-c561a738d62a<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.\u201d Hymnary.org, hymnary.org\/text\/come_thou_fount_of_every_blessing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ESV Study Bible : English Standard Version. 2001. Crossway Bibles, 2016.<\/p>\n

Foundation, Poetry. \u201cParadise Lost: Book 3 (1674 Version) by John Milton.\u201d Poetry Foundation, 21 Sept. 2021, www.poetryfoundation.org\/poems\/45739\/paradise-lost-book-3-1674-version<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Greenwood, John. George Whitefield. 1769, mezzotint on paper. National Portrait Gallery, https:\/\/npg.si.edu\/object\/npg_NPG.75.77<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Harlan, Lowell B. \u201cTheology of Eighteenth Century English Hymns.\u201d Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church, vol. 48, no. 2, June 1979, pp. 167\u201393. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com\/linkprocessor\/plink?id=1c6cf69d-a403-318f-8a16-6ec3b373631c<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Haykin, Michael A. G. \u201c\u2018Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing\u2019: Robert Robinson and His Hymnic Celebration of Sovereign Grace.\u201d Sem\u0103n\u0103torul, vol. 5, no. 1, Dec. 2024, pp. 138\u201355. EBSCOhost, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.58892\/ts.swr5160<\/a><\/p>\n

Knapp, John. \u201cIsaac Watts\u2019s Unfixed Hymn Genre.\u201d Modern Philology, vol. 109, no. 4, May 2012, pp. 463\u201382. EBSCOhost, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1086\/665976<\/a>.<\/p>\n

McKibbens, Thomas R. \u201cRobert Robinson: Baptist Historian with a Passion for Preaching.\u201d Baptist History and Heritage, vol. 15, no. 4, Dec. 1980, pp. 12\u201318. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com\/linkprocessor\/plink?id=73448717-c964-3e63-8bed-2ace4c6c08c0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Robinson, Robert. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. A Collection of Hymns Used by the Church of Christ, 1758, hymnary.org\/text\/come_thou_fount_of_every_blessing<\/a>. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.<\/p>\n

Rushford, Jerry. \u201cHymns of the Season: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.\u201d Pepperdine.edu, Caruso School of Law – Pepperdine University, 2020, library.pepperdine.edu\/news\/posts\/hymns-of-the-season-come-thou-fount-of-every-blessing.htm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Wesley Center Online: Wesley Hymn Collection.\u201d Nnu.edu, 2026, wesley.nnu.edu\/charles-wesley\/wesley-hymn-collection\/#c5840<\/a>. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.<\/p>\n

Tice, Adam M. L. \u201c\u2018Come, Thou Font of Ev\u2019Ry Blessing.\u2019\u201d The Hymn, vol. 65, no. 2, Dec. 2014, pp. 34\u201335. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com\/linkprocessor\/plink?id=ee037502-0fd3-3320-929b-9a7fa8b73636<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Thank you, Mikhail, for sharing your research with us. We\u2019ll be back soon to highlight more student research inspired by our hymnal holdings.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Spring 2026, Dr. Laura Carroll\u2019s ENGL 325: Advanced Composition students were challenged to engage Special Collections broadly, and, more specifically, with the hymnal collection. Each student wrote a research paper on a topic inspired by the hymnal collection. Their … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1739,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[137584,610,213837,188065,7582],"tags":[83105,2441,213854,213855],"class_list":["post-4752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-austin-taylor-hymnal-collection","category-essay","category-hymnody","category-hymns","category-research-project","tag-abilene-christian-college","tag-abilene-christian-university","tag-engl-325","tag-student-research"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4fxGI-1eE","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1739"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4752"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4760,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4752\/revisions\/4760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}