The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-04-20
STORY OF A HYMN.
"Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessng,"
Written d Century Ago.
Philadelphia Press.

Written Century Ago.
Philadelphia Press.
This hymn has been favorite for hun
dred years.
1t was at one time assigned to Lady
Huntingdon, but it is now known to be the
work OF Robert Robinson. who was born
at Swahham. in Norfolk England, Septem-
Der -, 1875.
His father Michael Robinson. was an OK
else man, and a native Of Scotland His
PARENTS were both OF the church of Eng
land, and he was their youngest child
At the age of 6 he was sent to a Latin
school and soon showed unusual talent
He was the author not only of this
hymn, but of another almost equally "a
nous, Mighty God, Willie Angels Bless
IneG, and he was the lnspirer of the great
pulpit orator Robert Hail, who, in turn,
was the inspirer Of Sturgeon. and In this
sense Robinson may be called Surgeons
grandfather.
The racy and original expressions which
cnaracterlze these two great preachers
abound In RobinsonS sermons and books
Ills ecclesiastical career was UNIQUE
we ma MIN az "a epprentiCed to a bar
habits.
In company with other boys he Induced
a GYPSY fortune teller To become intoN-
icated. She then told his fortune and de-
cared that he would see his children and
grandchildren 0' 'N4
It had a strange effect upon him. At
H ,ic ne dstermined 10 become worthy Of
ms posterity and that very night he vent
TO near Whiteheld preach
-Lue text was, Flee from the Wrath to
SoMe' ana 1t produced powerful i'm
bbii S sion on MN and subsequently led to
g.. He confessed to Whitehead six month,
, ,aler tuat ne went TO that service dis.
ddi TSru 70 ply the poor, demded Metho-
happiness away en''lhs thelr
c,a 4atef ms CONVERSION he became asso
G oi",Tu WIN me Methodists, whom he once
ueSplSed, and he preached for them
A., he next became Baptist, and was sat
tied in Cambridge. ""N was SCI
=, In this college town they were quite IN.
SS,lhed TO ignore the OK barber presGber b,,
his bright, original sermons soon NIL pu T1t
SOU chapel and large congrpration ~
rca INSISTED upon open communion. "He
nonr al tauglt man who ranked as the
adyontagauso - VINO nave received the best
hls family was SO large and his SALARY
co % S% small Ht that he took up farming in
a deIlrbffpl T hon,, lls preaching, and wrote
~ the latter part of his life h. booo,,o
iIFeind OF the celebrated Priestlev abesa
inso 5tsi' ~ views well nigh unsettled Rob
al, During this period he was one dav +-,v.
teraS5 ~ stage coach. when he encoTn.
re Iied a iady who introduced the subject Of
lie felgned Indifference on the srhtoo.
cow cool, as there was nothing In his dress mr.
fSohuuct TO suggest clergyman sbo tbo ~ ~
him to c,b Sh tunoeileYer' and tried TO lead
Finally She quoted this. his own b,.,,n
her spoke OF the blessing it had been TO
With deep. agitation Robinson nouno,
v,bo Madam d | am the poor, unhannv man
ana mp composed that hymn, many ye5Ts 400
had mouid give a thousand worlds If I
had. 10 enjoy the ceilings | than
NE HS died at Birmingham, lime o TOO
"nlie ON journey u"V - 1'Vo
His own church M C,r,L,,
MIN memorial tablet which se erected
and the Christian" "uoih tue man
in me ne. correspondent for the Boston Journo1
=, war times describes a scene in wbi hi,
thls hymn was sung V III Wnlch |
IL was IN Fredericksburg. and bo want
mIssiaoSns the rooms of the Christian com.
,or They had given out food for body and
eSgbu ri's una cups OF water IN the name ' ~ |
~ ~, Ihey were tired now ana tbtnI /
"s .t az nome and quiet scenes
MY men we're gathered 0rorpa .,,,,
M 1Si uouse-sy sympathetic men. who had besn
,es, p"5 IA the hospital Their hearts mad
81 I'M mTuhg 6y scenes Of suffering.
yide5v s. me.e OF different faiths. from
nan an WHO knew how 10 strike a harmoniops
Aord' broke into singing: -4''''o''i0uS
tuou iount OF every blessing
N rrt',sl lSWhere from the shadows and the
l'r uoOefy rose the music OF tbat bvmn
I, On men who We're in memory in tha bon,a
oinod or ~ the home treside. and who
!, E1 IN this familiar hymn and were one
70 ran,a Jesus Y was a night scene to
~ Ielhe tempered And then one led In
.saker and alluded 10 the garden scene ir
49, ss ,. me angel sent TO strengthen
s 2 men In their dark hour was inc ANGEL
Ne b xn ana y noated in on the wings of
ns sS ~ I'm, Nnieh was associated with every
1a ~ nome llfe and religious exnerisnce &
A1I COO WAiis AagsA Bless IAss.-