Robert Robinson: Prone to Wander?

Robert Robinson: Prone to Wander?

Robert Robinson is widely known for his hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," which has been sung by millions of Christians around the world. The hymn's first stanza reads:

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 Thy redeeming love.

But what many people do not know is that Robinson struggled with his faith throughout his life. He was "prone to wander," as he put it, and at times he did indeed stray from the God he loved.

Early Life and Conversion

Robert Robinson was born in 1735 in Norfolk, England. His father died when he was eight years old, and his mother struggled to provide for him and his siblings. Robinson was sent to live with his maternal grandfather, who was a dissenter (a Protestant who did not belong to the Church of England) and a cobbler.

Robinson received very little formal education and was apprenticed to a barber at the age of 14. He quickly became known for his wit and his love of poetry, but he was also a troublemaker and a heavy drinker.

In 1755, when Robinson was 20 years old, he and some friends went to a fair in nearby Cambridge. While they were there, they heard a man preaching in the open air. The man's name was George Whitefield, and he was one of the most famous preachers of his time.

Robinson and his friends started heckling Whitefield, but Whitefield's words had a profound effect on Robinson. Later that day, Robinson went to hear Whitefield preach again, and this time he was deeply moved by the message of the gospel. Robinson later wrote:

I was seized with a violent palpitation of the heart, which put me into a great alarm. While I was wondering what would become of me, Mr. Whitefield, looking upon me, fixed me to the spot by saying, "Young man, you are in danger."

Robinson was converted that day and became a preacher himself. He joined the Methodists, a movement within the Church of England that emphasized personal piety and evangelism. Robinson's preaching was powerful and effective, and he soon became known as one of the most gifted preachers of his time.

Struggles with Doubt

Despite his success as a preacher, Robinson struggled with doubt throughout his life. He was deeply introspective and often questioned his own salvation.

In 1758, just three years after his conversion, Robinson wrote the words to "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." The third stanza reads:

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.

These words express Robinson's own struggles with his wandering heart. He knew that he was prone to leave the God he loved, and he prayed that God would bind his heart to himself.

Robinson's doubts were not just theological; he also struggled with depression and a sense of spiritual desolation. In 1774, he wrote to a friend:

I am a poor, feeble creature, and have nothing to support me but the promises of God. I have lately been much distressed for want of that inward consolation which I once enjoyed.

Despite his struggles, Robinson continued to preach and write hymns. He became a Baptist minister in 1759 and served several churches throughout his life.

Controversy and Unitarianism

By the time of his death in 1790, Robinson had become something of a controversial figure. Some of his theological views had drifted away from orthodox Christianity, and he had become friendly with Joseph Priestley, a radical Unitarian who denied the deity of Christ.

In a letter to Priestley in 1783, Robinson wrote:

I am sorry that I cannot in every point coincide with your sentiments, but I love and honor you as a man of genius and a sincere friend of truth.

Robinson's friendship with Priestley led some to question his orthodoxy. In 1790, the year of Robinson's death, a letter was published in which Robinson was quoted as saying that Jesus was "a good man" but not God.

It is difficult to know exactly where Robinson stood on these issues, as his writings are not entirely consistent. He certainly had a high view of Christ's atoning work on the cross and frequently wrote about the need for repentance and faith in Christ.

However, it is clear that Robinson's doubts and struggles had led him to question some of the traditional doctrines of Christianity. This should serve as a warning to us all. Even the most gifted and faithful Christians are prone to wander, and we must be vigilant to guard our hearts and minds against false teaching.

Lessons from Robinson's Life

So what can we learn from Robert Robinson's life and struggles? Here are a few thoughts:

1. We are all prone to wander.

Robinson's hymn captures the essence of the Christian life: we are prone to wander, prone to leave the God we love. We must constantly be on guard against the temptations and distractions that can lead us away from Christ.

As the writer of Hebrews reminds us:

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:1-4)

We must pay close attention to the gospel message and hold fast to it, lest we drift away.

2. Doubts and struggles are normal.

Robinson's life reminds us that doubts and struggles are a normal part of the Christian life. We should not be surprised when we experience doubts or feel distant from God. Instead, we should bring our doubts and struggles to God in prayer and seek the help of other believers.

As the apostle Paul writes:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but we do so with the knowledge that it is God who is at work in us.

3. We must hold fast to sound doctrine.

Robinson's drift away from orthodox Christianity should serve as a warning to us all. We must hold fast to sound doctrine and be on guard against false teaching.

As Paul writes to Timothy:

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11-12)

We must pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness, and we must fight the good fight of the faith.

Conclusion

Robert Robinson's life is a reminder that even the most gifted and faithful Christians are prone to wander. We must guard our hearts and minds against false teaching and hold fast to sound doctrine.

But Robinson's life is also a testimony to the grace of God that saves us despite our wandering hearts. As he wrote in the final stanza of his hymn:

O 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.

May we all be daily reminded of our debt to God's grace and may we be bound ever more closely to the God we love.