02/10/2026
Robert Robinson was a headstrong and troublesome boy whose life grew even harder after his father’s death. At 14 in 1749, his mother sent him to London for a barber’s apprenticeship, hoping to instill discipline and responsibility. Instead, he became a leader among a gang of troublemakers. At 17, he and his friends attended a revival service led by George Whitefield, intending to mock the “deluded Methodists.” But Whitefield’s powerful preaching pierced Robert’s heart, leaving him deeply moved and rethinking his sinful ways.
Nearly three years later, at age 20, the Lord gave Robinson a new heart, paid for by Christ’s blood, and that enable him to repent and believe. Feeling a desire to preach, he was appointed by John Wesley to a Calvinist Methodist chapel in Norfolk, England. On Pentecost Sunday in 1758 - the third anniversary of his conversion - he wrote “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” to accompany his sermon. The first stanza bursts with praise, while the final two stanzas his own proneness to wander from God.
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