Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing: A Reflection
I have always enjoyed the Hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” both lyrically and melodically. This is one of those catchy tones whose text and melodic movement line up in such a way where you are convinced one is written for the other. This however is not true. The hymn text was written by Robert Robinson in 1758, being inspired by 1 Samuel 7:12. The Hymn tune entitled NETTLETON from Wyeth’s Respository of Sacred Music, Part Second, was written in 1813. Even so, this hymn has stood the test of time and is sung in churches both contemporary and traditional today.
The Tune
This beautiful tune rests within one octave. It is published in the lower key of Eb in the Celebration Grace Hymnal. The highest note found in the tune is an Eb, which falls on the lyrics like “…prone to leave the God I love”. This phrase emphasizes the tragedy of our desire to want to love God but the chains of humanity that make this love difficult. The melody continuing to rise upward to the highest note heightens the musical and lyrical climax. Though the melody spans an octave, it is very accessible for congregations to sing because of its stepwise motion up and down the scale that always returning to the tonic (Eb above middle C). The Rhythm is also congregational as it repeats an eight note, followed by two quarter-note pattern in ¾ time.
The Text
The Lyrics of this hymn speak to a God who has been a present help for a people in times of despair. The first stanza calls for the grace to have the kind of heart that would respond to God with songs of praise for all the things he has done. It also uses vivid imagery like that of “flaming tongues” to encourage the biblical idea of the power of the Spirit to teach believers to fix themselves on the redeeming love of God. The second stanza holds the line “Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I come” which was directly inspired by 1 Samuel 7:12. This idea of taking a stone and marking a moment in order to remember all the Lord has done continues through the hymn. Stanza two also goes on to emphasize the believer as being sought by God even as sinners and then being covered in His blood. This theme of wandering continues in the third stanza. It reads as a prayer to be kept and sealed by God alone. The AABB ryhyminc scheme, along with the 8.7.8.7 poetic meter and ¾ time signature makes the lyrics lay nicely. These elements along with a strong melody make a good hymn.
The popularity of this hymn has encouraged writers and composers to re-tune it for contemporary setting. A band called Page CXVI has done one of the more recent versions of this hymn. They are noted for their musical interpretation and refrain that functions as a bridge in contemporary churches. They are well known for their popular arrangement with the added refrain “I am bound for the Kingdom, wont you come with me? Hallelujah we sing.” However, this comes from the 1991 arrangement of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” done by John Drakestone that was published in the 1991 hymnal. Drakeston’s version is set to the tune WARRENTON, noted to be from The Sacred Harp songbook of 1844. It includes a chorus like section that says “I am bound for the kingdom, will you go to glory with me? Hallelujah, praise the Lord.” In my opinion, this portion of the hymn adds the call of the great commission onto the text, which is desirable to evangelical churches. Though this addition does not support the poetic meter and introduces a new melody, the added lines ask the worshipper to not only understand what Christ has done but to make a declaration of perseverance and a call to encourage others to do the same. Because of this, it acts best as an additional chorus. The Youtube video below shows a contemporary version of this hymn set well musically and vocally by Page CXVI.
Verse 1
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 God’s redeeming love.
Verse 2
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’ve 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,
bought me with his precious blood
Verse 3
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee:
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.
Refrain
I am bound for the Kingdom
Wont you come with me?
I am bound for the Kingdom
Wont you come with me?
Hallelujah we sing
Hallelujah we sing
